United Nations A/69/98
General Assembly Distr.: General 26 June 2014 English Original: Arabic/Chinese/English/ French/Russian/Spanish
Sixty-ninth session Item 40 of the preliminary list* Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba
Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary In its resolution 68/8, entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General, in consultation with the appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations system, to prepare a r eport on the implementation of the resolution in the light of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law and to submit it to the Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. The present report reproduces the replies of Governments and bodies of the United Nations system to the request of the Secretary-General for information on the matter.
* A/69/50.
14-56355 (E) 120914 *1456355*
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Contents Page
I. Introduction ...... 8
II. Replies received from Governments ...... 8
Afghanistan ...... 8
Albania ...... 8
Algeria ...... 9
Andorra ...... 9
Angola ...... 9
Antigua and Barbuda ...... 10
Argentina ...... 10
Armenia ...... 11
Australia ...... 11
Azerbaijan ...... 12
Bahamas ...... 12
Bahrain ...... 12
Bangladesh ...... 13
Barbados ...... 13
Belarus ...... 13
Belize ...... 15
Benin ...... 15
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)...... 16
Bosnia and Herzegovina ...... 18
Botswana ...... 18
Brazil ...... 18
Brunei Darussalam ...... 20
Burkina Faso ...... 20
Burundi ...... 20
Cabo Verde ...... 21
Cambodia ...... 21
Cameroon ...... 21
Central African Republic ...... 22
Chad ...... 22
Chile ...... 23
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China ...... 23
Colombia ...... 24
Comoros ...... 24
Congo ...... 25
Costa Rica ...... 25
Côte d’Ivoire ...... 26
Croatia ...... 26
Cuba ...... 26
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ...... 56
Democratic Republic of the Congo ...... 56
Djibouti ...... 57
Dominica ...... 57
Dominican Republic ...... 58
Ecuador ...... 58
Egypt ...... 58
El Salvador ...... 59
Equatorial Guinea ...... 60
Eritrea ...... 61
Ethiopia ...... 61
European Union ...... 61
Fiji ...... 62
Gabon ...... 62
Gambia ...... 63
Georgia ...... 63
Ghana ...... 63
Grenada ...... 64
Guatemala ...... 65
Guinea ...... 65
Guinea-Bissau ...... 66
Guyana ...... 66
Haiti ...... 67
Holy See ...... 67
Honduras ...... 67
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India ...... 67
Indonesia ...... 68
Iran (Islamic Republic of) ...... 68
Jamaica ...... 70
Japan ...... 70
Jordan ...... 71
Kazakhstan ...... 71
Kenya ...... 71
Kiribati ...... 72
Kuwait ...... 72
Kyrgyzstan ...... 72
Lao People’s Democratic Republic ...... 72
Lebanon ...... 73
Lesotho ...... 73
Liberia ...... 73
Liechtenstein ...... 74
Madagascar ...... 74
Malawi ...... 74
Malaysia ...... 75
Maldives ...... 75
Mali ...... 75
Mauritania ...... 76
Mauritius ...... 76
Mexico ...... 76
Monaco ...... 77
Mongolia ...... 77
Montenegro ...... 77
Morocco ...... 77
Mozambique ...... 78
Myanmar ...... 78
Namibia ...... 78
Nauru ...... 79
Nepal ...... 79
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New Zealand ...... 79
Nicaragua ...... 80
Niger ...... 81
Nigeria ...... 81
Norway ...... 82
Oman ...... 82
Pakistan ...... 82
Panama ...... 82
Papua New Guinea ...... 83
Paraguay ...... 83
Peru ...... 83
Philippines ...... 84
Qatar ...... 84
Republic of Korea ...... 85
Republic of Moldova ...... 85
Russian Federation ...... 85
Rwanda ...... 86
Saint Kitts and Nevis ...... 86
Saint Lucia ...... 86
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ...... 87
Samoa ...... 87
San Marino ...... 88
Sao Tome and Principe ...... 88
Senegal ...... 88
Serbia ...... 88
Seychelles ...... 89
Sierra Leone ...... 90
Singapore ...... 90
Solomon Islands ...... 90
Somalia ...... 90
South Africa ...... 91
Sri Lanka ...... 91
State of Palestine ...... 92
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Sudan ...... 92
Suriname ...... 93
Swaziland ...... 94
Syrian Arab Republic ...... 94
Tajikistan ...... 96
Thailand ...... 97
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ...... 97
Timor-Leste ...... 97
Togo ...... 98
Tonga ...... 98
Trinidad and Tobago ...... 98
Tunisia ...... 99
Turkey ...... 99
Turkmenistan ...... 99
Tuvalu ...... 100
Uganda ...... 100
United Arab Emirates ...... 100
United Republic of Tanzania ...... 100
Uruguay ...... 101
Vanuatu ...... 102
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) ...... 102
Viet Nam ...... 104
Yemen ...... 105
Zambia ...... 105
Zimbabwe ...... 106
III. Replies received from organs and agencies of the United Nations system ...... 107
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization ...... 107
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean ...... 107
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ...... 111
International Atomic Energy Agency ...... 117
International Civil Aviation Organization ...... 117
International Fund for Agricultural Development ...... 118
International Labour Organization ...... 118
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International Maritime Organization ...... 119
International Telecommunication Union ...... 120 Office of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system for operational activities for development, Cuba ...... 120
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ...... 122
United Nations Children’s Fund ...... 122
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ...... 123
United Nations Development Programme ...... 128
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ...... 132
United Nations Environment Programme ...... 133
United Nations Human Settlements Programme ...... 135
United Nations Industrial Development Organization ...... 136
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ...... 136
United Nations Population Fund ...... 137
Universal Postal Union ...... 137
World Food Programme ...... 138
World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization ...... 140
World Intellectual Property Organization ...... 145
World Meteorological Organization ...... 147
World Tourism Organization ...... 147
World Trade Organization ...... 148
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I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 68/8, entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General, in consultation with the appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations system, to prepare a report on the implementation of the resolution in the light of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law and to submit it to the Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. 2. Pursuant to that request, in a note verbale dated 1 April 2014, the Secretary- General invited Governments and organs and agencies of the United Nations system to provide any information they might wish to contribute to the preparation of his report. A further note verbale was sent on 30 May 2014. 3. The present report reproduces the replies from Governments and organs and agencies of the United Nations that had been received as at 7 July 2014. Replies received after that date will be reproduced as addenda to the present report.
II. Replies received from Governments
Afghanistan
[Original: French] [23 June 2014] The Government of Afghanistan has not promulgated or applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to General Assembly resolution 68/8, in conformity with obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law, which, inter alia, reaffirm the freedom of trade and navigation. In that regard, the Government of Afghanistan has always voted in favour of the aforementioned resolution and reaffirms its commitment to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Afghanistan considers that differences and problems between States should be settled through dialogue and negotiations.
Albania
[Original: English] [23 July 2014] The Republic of Albania, guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, fully implements resolution 68/8 and does not have or apply any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble of the resolution.
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Algeria
[Original: French] [2 June 2014] Algeria, recalling the annual resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations relating to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, reiterates its call for an end to that unilateral act, which is contrary to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Algeria is concerned about the dramatic consequences of that decision, which has hindered the economic and social development of the Cuban people. Through the annual resolutions of the General Assembly, the international community has continued to reaffirm that Cuba, like all other States Members of the United Nations, has the right to freedom of trade and navigation and to the expansion of trade with its economic partners. The Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, at the Ministerial Conference held in Algiers on 28 and 29 May 2014 under the theme “Enhanced solidarity for peace and prosperity”, reiterated its commitment to a world at peace and its rejection of extraterritorial measures aimed at strengthening the embargo against Cuba. Algeria, which is committed to the achievement of peace and cooperation among peoples, joins the international community in calling for an end to this unjust and anachronistic embargo imposed for more than half a century against a United Nations Member State.
Andorra
[Original: English] [16 May 2014] The Government of the Principality of Andorra has not promulgated or applied any laws or measures referred in the preamble to General Assembly resolution 68/8. In that regard, the Government of the Principality of Andorra has always voted in favour of the above-mentioned resolution and reaffirms its commitment to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.
Angola
[Original: English] [29 May 2014] The Republic of Angola reiterates the importance of ending the economic and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba. The Republic of Angola reaffirms its commitment to respecting, preserving and promoting the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the provisions of international laws, as they constitute the essence of multilateralism and a collective effort to maintain peace and international security, economic growth and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
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In this context, the Republic of Angola reiterates its concern over the continuation of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba, which continues to prevent the Cuban people from exercising their right to freely decide their own political and economic system, and reaffirms that there should be an immediate end to this unilateral measure, which has caused serious obstacles to the development and legitimate aspirations of the Cuban people. The Republic of Angola once again expresses its recognition of the efforts of the Secretary-General towards ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States of America, valid since 1962 and which lasts until today. The Republic of Angola reiterates its unconditional support for the implementation of the recommendations contained in paragraphs 2 and 3 of General Assembly resolution 68/8, and takes this opportunity to appeal once again to the international community to redouble its efforts to promote constructive and transparent dialogue between the two countries, with a view to achieving the objectives of all the resolutions already adopted by the United Nations on the matter.
Antigua and Barbuda
[Original: English] [21 May 2014] The Government of Antigua and Barbuda remains fully committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation. The Government of Antigua and Barbuda expresses its concern at the continued promulgation of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba, despite the overwhelming support by Member States for resolution 68/8, previous resolutions against the embargo and other relevant international treaties. Further, in accordance with paragraph 2 of resolution 68/8, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda continues to refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to the aforementioned resolution, in conformity with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law, which, inter alia, reaffirms the freedom of trade and navigation.
Argentina
[Original: Spanish] [19 May 2014] Argentina supports the General Assembly resolutions concerning the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba. Argentina has also voiced opposition to the embargo in regional forums and in other international organizations, including the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Ibero-American community of nations and the Latin American Economic System (SELA). Argentina is fully
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committed to the Charter of the United Nations, international law and multilateralism. Argentine support for Cuba’s demands is a key element of the two countries’ close bilateral ties. Also relevant in this connection is the recent special declaration on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, adopted at the second Summit of CELAC, which was held in Havana on 28 and 29 January 2014, as well as the special communiqué on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, including the implementation of the Helms-Burton Act (Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act), which was adopted at the twenty-third Ibero-American Summit, held in Panama City on 18 and 19 October 2013. In addition, Act No. 24871, enacted on 5 September 1997, which is currently in force in Argentina, establishes the legislative framework governing the scope of application of foreign legislation within the national territory. Article 1 of that Act provides that foreign legislation which, by imposing an economic embargo or restricting investment in a given country, purports to have extraterritorial legal effects in order to bring about a change of government in a country or to affect its right to self-determination shall be absolutely inapplicable and devoid of legal effects. The United States embargo against Cuba is regulated by federal legislation, particularly the Torricelli Act (Cuban Democracy Act) of October 1992 and the Helms-Burton Act (Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act) of March 1996. The Government of Argentina has fully implemented the provisions of General Assembly resolution 68/8 and previous Assembly resolutions concerning the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba. Since then, there have been no instances that could be considered violations of the aforementioned instrument.
Armenia
[Original: English] [29 April 2014] Armenia’s national legislation does not promulgate or apply any laws or regulations referred to in General Assembly resolution 68/8, which can have a devastating influence on the economic and social development of Cuba. The Government of the Republic of Armenia, itself a subject of continuing blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, has on a number of occasions expressed its opposition to the policy of economic blockade and closed borders.
Australia
[Original: English] [27 May 2014] The Government of Australia reaffirms its position in support of General Assembly resolution 68/8. Since 1996, the Government of Australia has consistently supported General Assembly resolutions calling for an end to the trade embargo on
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Cuba. Australia has no trade or economic legislation or measures that restrict or discourage trade or investment to or from Cuba.
Azerbaijan
[Original: English] [5 May 2014] The Republic of Azerbaijan firmly upholds the norms and principles of international law in its foreign policy. The Republic of Azerbaijan enjoys friendly diplomatic, economic and trade relations with the Republic of Cuba. Azerbaijan has not promulgated or applied laws or measures against Cuba that would prohibit economic, trade or financial relations between Azerbaijan and Cuba. Azerbaijan will continue to undertake appropriate measures to strengthen cooperation and develop friendly relations with Cuba.
Bahamas
[Original: English] [13 June 2014] The Commonwealth of the Bahamas enjoys normal diplomatic and trade relations with the Republic of Cuba. The Bahamas has not promulgated or applied laws or measures against Cuba that would prohibit economic, commercial or financial relations between the Bahamas and the Republic of Cuba. In this context, the Bahamas recalls and affirms the position of regional and interregional bodies such as the Caribbean Community, the African, Caribbean and Pacific States, and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.
Bahrain
[Original: Arabic] [5 May 2014] The Kingdom of Bahrain voted in favour of General Assembly resolution 68/8. It did so in accordance with its obligations under the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, which are based on cooperation among States, constant endeavour to promote friendly relations and non-intervention in their internal affairs. Acting on those premises, the Kingdom of Bahrain supported the resolution in its entirety. That principled position stems from its conviction that the Security Council is the international body responsible for taking decisions regarding the imposition of measures under Articles 41 and 42 of the Charter, concerning the maintenance and restoration of international peace and security.
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Bangladesh
[Original: English] [28 May 2014] The Government of Bangladesh has neither promulgated nor applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in General Assembly resolution 68/8. Bangladesh has consistently supported the aforementioned resolution in the Assembly and voted in its favour.
Barbados
[Original: English] [19 May 2014] The Government of Barbados has no laws that in any way restrict freedom of trade and navigation with Cuba. Barbados has consistently voted in favour of the resolution since it was first introduced in the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session in 1991.
Belarus
[Original: Russian] [22 May 2014] The Republic of Belarus has consistently condemned the use of unilateral economic measures to exert political and economic pressure on developing countries, as it considers such measures to be contrary to the fundamental principles of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and other international legal instruments. The unilateral embargo against the Republic of Cuba and the imposition by the United States of America of unilateral coercive measures against other countries have not only held back the development of the Cuban economy, they have also impaired the rights and the legitimate interests of Cuban citizens and have thereby created an unacceptable obstacle to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. In this connection, the Republic of Belarus calls for a speedy end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against the Republic of Cuba. The lifting of the sanctions could pave the way for the normalization of intergovernmental relations between the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba. The Republic of Belarus has consistently stressed the inadmissibility of the use of coercive economic measures and considers economic sanctions a means for exerting political pressure on a sovereign State. The imposition by the United States of economic sanctions against Cuba is not in compliance with a number of international commitments and creates artificial barriers to trade, hampering development.
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The Republic of Belarus, like Cuba, has experienced and continues to experience the negative impact of economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, sanctions that are primarily designed to harm the rights of ordinary citizens of the Republic of Belarus. The actions of the United States and the European Union thus contravene the Charter of the United Nations. In particular, Chapter I, Article 2, paragraph 4, of the Charter states that “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations”. The actions of the United States against Cuba also violate the principles of the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, adopted by General Assembly resolution 2625 (XXV) of 24 October 1970. In particular, the principle on the duty not to intervene in matters within the domestic jurisdiction of any State, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, notes that “No State may use or encourage the use of economic, political or any other type of measures to coerce another State in order to obtain from it the subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights and to secure from it advantages of any kind. Also, no State shall organize, assist, foment, finance, incite or tolerate subversive, terrorist or armed activities directed towards the violent overthrow of the regime of another State, or interfere in civil strife in another State”. In accordance with the Principle on the duty of States to cooperate with one another in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, “States should cooperate in the economic, social and cultural fields, as well as in the field of science and technology and for the promotion of international cultural and educational progress. States should cooperate in the promotion of economic growth throughout the world, especially that of the developing countries”. The restrictive measures of the European Union and the United States violate the right of Belarus to development. Unilateral sanctions, means of economic pressure and coercive measures targeting individual sovereign States are counterproductive and may lead to tension in relationships between sovereign States and in the international arena as a whole. The Republic of Belarus calls for equitable and mutually respectful dialogue to help resolve emerging conflicts. Despite the clear signal sent by the international community on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba, the response of the United Nations to the arbitrary actions of the United States with regard to Cuba and other sovereign States has fallen short, thereby encouraging other Western countries to use the same harmful practice as a method of subordinating the independent policy of other States to their political ambitions. The Secretary-General of the United Nations has been actively promoting the Rights up Front initiative. Carrying out this initiative in the context of the lifting of economic sanctions against some States, including Cuba, should become a genuine example of the value of such an initiative and an appropriate response from the United Nations to human rights violations.
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In accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 19/32 of 5 April 2013, an interactive discussion was held in Geneva on the impact on human rights of unilateral coercive measures. A report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/HRC/24/20) was prepared in the context of the outcome of that event. The report notes that participants were unanimous in their evaluations of the policy of unilateral coercive measures, which lead, first and foremost, to violations of human rights such as the rights to food, work, health and education. Thus, as indicated in the report, innocent civilians not only do not receive support in upholding their rights, but also end up doubly victimized. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretary- General and other senior United Nations officials should take appropriate steps to prevent the use by individual States of economic sanctions and unilateral coercive measures against other independent countries, including Cuba.
Belize
[Original: English] [29 April 2014] Belize reaffirms its absolute commitment to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including, in particular, the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation, which also form fundamental principles of international law. In strict observance of the Charter and international law, Belize has consistently supported the resolutions denouncing the embargo against Cuba. Belize rejects the extraterritorial application of laws and measures. The ongoing attempt to isolate Cuba in disregard of the annually adopted resolutions that enjoy the overwhelming support of Member States of the United Nations is a flagrant affront to multilateralism and the political will of the international community. Belize and Cuba maintain a constructive and mutually beneficial partnership that has yielded concrete benefits for all our peoples. Our policy of engagement is further enhanced through regional cooperation between the Caribbean community and Cuba.
Benin
[Original: French] [22 May 2014] Benin, a democratic, peace-loving country that values equality and justice and respects human rights, firmly believes in dialogue as the only means of settling disputes and restoring trust among States. It fully supports the principles outlined in the Charter of the United Nations and considers that the challenges of modern times require States to work together for the public good in a spirit of solidarity. For this reason, the Government of the Republic of Benin, which has never adopted legislation restricting free trade with Cuba, fully supports General
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Assembly resolution 68/8 on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, and considers that the unilateral measures imposed against that country should be lifted without conditions in order to allow the Cuban people to prosper and to better participate in the development of their country and in international cooperation. Like the majority of peace-loving and fair-minded countries, Benin enjoys friendly relations and effective cooperation with Cuba and seeks to strengthen those ties. It has no exclusionary measures in place with regard to that country and calls for the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba to be lifted promptly, as requested repeatedly by the majority of the United Nations Member States, in order to end the suffering of the Cuban people caused by the embargo and to enable the country to participate fully in the expansion of international trade and to build a better world for all peoples.
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
[Original: Spanish] [19 May 2014]
Paragraph 2 of General Assembly resolution 68/8
The Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia once again reiterates its strong rejection of the application by some States or groups of States of unilateral laws, regulations, provisions and measures for the purpose of imposing an economic, commercial and financial embargo against any other State, as well as the use by any country of unilateral measures of coercion, discredit and disinformation against another country. In accordance with the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non- intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation, noted in General Assembly resolution 68/8, the Plurinational State of Bolivia steadfastly condemns in the strongest terms the embargo and economic war policies that the Government of the United States of America has imposed on Cuba, in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. The disregard of General Assembly resolutions reflecting the international community’s near-unanimous rejection of the United States Government’s unilateral embargo calls the United Nations system itself into question by demonstrating that there are countries which have benefited greatly from the establishment of the Organization but fail to respect the growing will of nearly all of its members. In this context, the Plurinational State of Bolivia joins in solidarity with and fully endorses the struggle that Cuba is waging on the international front and expresses its consequent support for General Assembly resolution 68/8. It also affirms its support for the principle of the equality of all States before the law in respect of their sovereignty and stresses the prime importance of full respect for economic, political and all other types of diversity.
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Relations between the Plurinational State of Bolivia and Cuba have remained a high priority since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Bolivia and Cuba in 1983. That relationship places special emphasis on education and health services targeting the most disadvantaged groups of the Bolivian population, as evidenced by the significant increase in Cuban cooperation efforts in Bolivia since 2006. This cooperation is specifically technical in nature; there is no direct financial cooperation. Bolivia and Cuba maintain a relationship of cooperation and complementarity based on the principles of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America — Peoples’ Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP). During the eight years prior to October 2013, 59,276,681 free medical examinations were performed, and 659,068 eye operations were performed at no cost as part of “Operation Miracle”, which has restored or improved the sight of Bolivian men and women regardless of their background or social status. Human resource training cooperation is pursued through a scholarship programme. There has been an unprecedented increase in the number of scholarships awarded to low-income Bolivian students of campesino or indigenous origin in rural areas under new projects initiated recently to supplement the existing cooperation. Consequently, there are currently 5,834 Bolivian scholarship-holders in Cuba in various subject areas; most of them are studying medicine, while the remaining 10 per cent are studying other subjects. Some of these scholarship-holders have now returned to Bolivia to complete their medical studies and find jobs in their own country. In addition, 192,168 people have participated in the national post-literacy programme known as “I can continue”, which is being conducted in all of Bolivia’s nine departments and in 337 municipalities. In view of the foregoing, the Plurinational State of Bolivia reaffirms its continued support for the adoption of another resolution expressing the need to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba, which will do much to consolidate and support the international call for the United States to move towards the definitive elimination of this unjust and illegal policy against the Cuban people. Accordingly, the Plurinational State of Bolivia firmly states that the United States embargo against Cuba must be ended unconditionally, unilaterally and immediately.
Paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 68/8
The Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia has not adopted any laws or measures that are contrary to the spirit of General Assembly resolution 68/8 and regrets that other States have resorted to this illegal, harmful and inhumane practice in violation of international law.
Paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 68/8
The Plurinational State of Bolivia requests the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in accordance with this paragraph, to continue to keep Member States and the relevant bodies informed regarding the negative impact on Cuba of the policies and practices imposed by the Government of the United States of America under its economic, commercial and financial embargo against that sovereign country, which
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not only infringes on the sovereignty of the other States Members of the United Nations but also calls into question the essence of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
[Original: English] [13 May 2014] Reaffirming its fundamental commitment to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the rules of international law, Bosnia and Herzegovina has neither promulgated nor applied laws, regulations, measures or acts that have an extraterritorial effect or affect the sovereignty of any other Member State of the United Nations, as stipulated in the preamble to resolution 68/8 of the General Assembly. Bosnia and Herzegovina has consistently supported the aforementioned resolution in the General Assembly and voted in its favour.
Botswana
[Original: English] [24 April 2014] The Republic of Botswana has never promulgated, applied or enforced any laws or measures of the kind referred to in General Assembly resolution 68/8, nor does it intend to do so. As reflected by its vote on the above-cited resolution, Botswana is opposed to the continued adoption and application of such extraterritorial measures, and in this regard supports the immediate lifting of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba.
Brazil
[Original: English] [11 June 2014] Brazil reiterates its firm opposition to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba and to the extraterritorial application of domestic trade laws and the adoption of discriminatory trade practices. In accordance with resolutions 47/19, 48/16, 49/9, 50/10, 51/17, 52/10, 53/4, 54/21, 55/20, 56/9, 57/11, 58/7, 59/11, 60/12, 61/11, 62/3, 63/7, 64/6, 65/6, 66/6, 67/4 and 68/8, Brazil has not promulgated or applied any laws, regulations or measures with extraterritorial effects that could affect the sovereignty of other States and the legitimate interests of entities or persons under their jurisdiction, as well as freedom of trade and navigation. Brazil’s legal system does not recognize the validity of the application of measures with extraterritorial effects. Furthermore, Governments not complying with resolution 68/8 should urgently take further steps to eliminate discriminatory trade practices and bring to an end unilaterally declared economic, commercial and financial embargoes.
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The Government of Brazil is committed to diplomacy, to the peaceful settlement of disputes, to economic and trade cooperation and to the prevalence of the principles and purposes enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, as well as to the respect for international law. The Government of Brazil not only opposes the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba, it has also developed a growing economic relationship with the country. This relationship is based on the belief that the proper way to support Cuba is through its integration into economic international flows. The Government of Brazil has been following up on bilateral projects in the areas of investments, trade and the granting of official financing. Brazil and all Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean repudiate the blockade against Cuba, which seriously affects the Cuban people. That position was restated in the Declaration of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), adopted at the summit of Heads of State and Government held in Havana, in January 2014. More recently, CELAC also reiterated its total and firm opposition to the making of unilateral lists accusing States of allegedly supporting and co-sponsoring terrorism and urged the Government of the United States of America to end this practice. In accordance with resolution 68/8, Brazil considers there is an urgent need to put an end to the adoption and implementation of unilateral measures. In addition to the adverse impacts they impose on the population of the country under sanctions, the extraterritorial nature of these measures is in clear contradiction of the basic principles of international law and sound coexistence between peoples, which implies respect for sovereignty and freedom of trade and navigation. Sanctions and embargoes harm the populations of the countries involved, especially the poorest, who suffer the impact of those unilateral measures through economic uncertainty and unemployment. Financial institutions throughout the world have been penalized with fines for providing services to companies dealing with Cuban clients, which is detrimental to the economic growth prospects of the country and to social opportunities for Cuban citizens. Such measures have shown scant effects in achieving the results that would have justified their creation. Sanctions and other unilateral measures have also affected the regular exercise of diplomatic activities of Cuba in the United States, as well as the diplomatic activities of many foreign embassies in Cuba, owing to unreasonable constraints imposed on financial institutions with headquarters or branches in the United States. This issue was recently addressed by the Group of 77 and China in its draft resolution entitled “Enhancement of the administration and financial functioning of the United Nations”. Under the host country agreement signed with the United Nations, the United States committed itself to respect the principle of isonomy, which secures equal distribution of rights and privileges in its dealings with diplomatic missions. Recent regulations imposed on local American banks, however, have failed to respect that principle. In view of the qualified majority of votes in favour of resolution 68/8 in the General Assembly, the solid support of the international community for the lifting of the embargo against Cuba is unquestionable, all the more because of the illegal character of the embargo in relation to the principles of international law and the rules of multilateral trading system. Intensifying economic relations with Cuba
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without any conditionality is the correct path that should be followed by all countries interested in supporting the development of the island and the improvement of life conditions of millions of Cuban citizens.
Brunei Darussalam
[Original: English] [16 May 2014] Brunei Darussalam reaffirms its support for all General Assembly resolutions calling for an end to the trade embargo on Cuba. Brunei Darussalam is generally against the unilateral use of sanctions on Member States, as it affects their economic and social development. Brunei Darussalam takes the view that such sanctions are contrary to international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
Burkina Faso
[Original: French] [27 May 2014] For many years, the Republic of Cuba has been the victim of an economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America, with disastrous consequences for the Cuban people and economy. This embargo, which violates the principles of State sovereignty, is also contrary to the guidelines of the World Trade Organization. These unilateral measures, which run counter to the fundamental norms of international law, international humanitarian law, the Charter of the United Nations and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States, are in no way appropriate as a means of settling disputes. Burkina Faso calls for the lifting of the embargo and urges the parties concerned to turn instead to dialogue as a means of peacefully settling their dispute, in accordance with Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations. In accordance with the provisions of the Charter and international law, Burkina Faso has not promulgated or applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to General Assembly resolution 68/8.
Burundi
[Original: French] [6 June 2014] The position of the Government of Burundi has always been to oppose this embargo.
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Cabo Verde
[Original: English] [9 May 2014] The Republic of Cabo Verde, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the national Constitution and in conformity with the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, which promotes solidarity, cooperation and friendly relations among countries and nations, has never promulgated or applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to General Assembly resolution 68/8.
Cambodia
[Original: English] [16 June 2014] The Royal Government of Cambodia has repeatedly expressed its firm position in support of the unconditional lifting of unjustified sanctions imposed against the Cuban people. The Royal Government of Cambodia is of the view that the prolonged embargo has caused enormous suffering and economic losses to the innocent people of Cuba. Thus, the Royal Government of Cambodia, once again, demands an end to this unjustified embargo. In this connection, the Royal Government of Cambodia wishes to appeal to all Member States of the United Nations to take appropriate measures to implement the above resolution.
Cameroon
[Original: French] [17 June 2014] Cameroon is deeply committed to respecting the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of trade, which are enshrined in many international legal instruments. Pursuant to the provisions of General Assembly resolution 68/8 and of previous resolutions on the subject, and in accordance with the above-mentioned principles, Cameroon has never adopted legislative or other measures intended to strengthen or expand the embargo against Cuba. Cameroon, which has always voted in favour of lifting the embargo, maintains excellent relations of friendship and cooperation with Cuba.
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Central African Republic
[Original: French] [24 April 2014] True to its commitments and respectful of international law, and in accordance with its fundamental legislation, which stipulates that the nation shall maintain relations of good neighbourliness with other States, the Central African Republic believes that peaceful coexistence is the foundation of international relations, underlying all other types of exchanges. Accordingly, it considers that the embargo against Cuba, which has lasted for more than 50 years, is contrary to the rules of international law and international humanitarian law. This embargo must be lifted to allow the free movement of persons and goods in the subregion. In consequence, the Government of the Central African Republic will continue to stand behind the Cuban people until the embargo has been completely lifted.
Chad
[Original: French] [30 May 2014] The Republic of Chad calls for an end to the unilateral economic, commercial and financial embargo which the United States of America has imposed against Cuba for the past several decades, in violation of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. It regrets the negative impacts that the embargo has had on Cuba’s economic and social development, bearing in mind the ongoing crisis in the world economy. The resolution on the embargo which the General Assembly adopted in October 2013 sends a strong signal reaffirming the international community’s support for that country, which must enjoy the same rights and freedom of trade as all the other States Members of the United Nations. The Republic of Chad rejects any unilateral action taken against a sovereign country for the purpose of preventing it from enjoying its diplomatic, economic and trading rights. Conversely, it supports the strengthening of relations of cooperation and friendship among all the States Members of the United Nations, for the sake of international peace and security. In view of the socioeconomic harm that this embargo has inflicted on Cuban society, the Republic of Chad encourages the international community to redouble its efforts to promote a constructive dialogue between the two countries in order to end the economic, commercial and financial embargo. The Government of Chad shares the position of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, which expressed its rejection of the embargo at the Summit of Heads of State or Government held in Tehran on 30 and 31 August 2012.
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Chile
[Original: English] [2 June 2014] Chile supports resolution 68/8, inasmuch as the embargo entails a violation of international law and principles, particularly those on the equality of States, non-interference in internal matters and the freedom of trade and navigation. Moreover, Chile would like to inform that it has not approved any measures aimed at restraining the normal trade and economic relations between Chile and Cuba. Chile supports the full and free exercise of the right to trade and to establish business relations in the international arena, with no restrictions other than those activities qualified as illegal by Chilean law and the restrictions imposed by the international community according to the Charter of the United Nations.
China
[Original: Chinese] [21 May 2014] For 22 consecutive years, the General Assembly has adopted, by an overwhelming majority, a resolution on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, urging all countries, in compliance with the Charter of the United Nations and the norms of international law, to repeal or invalidate any laws or measures that have extraterritorial effects affecting the sovereignty of other States, the legitimate rights and interests of entities and persons under their jurisdiction and the freedom of trade and navigation. Regrettably, however, over the years those resolutions have not been implemented effectively and the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba has not been lifted. This is not only a violation of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant General Assembly resolutions, but also a source of enormous economic and financial losses for Cuba. It is an impediment to efforts by the Cuban people to eradicate poverty, promote their economic and social development and attain the Millennium Development Goals; it impairs the rights of the Cuban people to survival and development; and it adversely affects normal economic, commercial and financial relations between Cuba and other countries. At a time when the recovery of the world economy is weak and the international community is severely challenged by a range of crises in the domains of food, energy and climate change, the embargo and sanctions against Cuba are more unreasonable than ever before. China has always maintained that the international community should base the development of mutual relations on the purposes and principles enunciated in the Charter of the United Nations, should respect the right of all countries independently to choose their social system and path of development, and should oppose the unilateral imposition on countries of military, political, economic or other sanctions. For its own part, China has always strictly observed and implemented the relevant General Assembly resolutions. China and Cuba are maintaining normal economic and trade relations and conducting personnel
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exchanges and the mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation in various areas continues to grow. This approach is both consistent with the aspirations of the two peoples and conducive to Cuba’s economic and social development. Against the backdrop of a multipolar world, economic globalization, cultural diversity and the democratization of international relations, there is an irreversible trend towards communication and cooperation on an equal footing between all countries. When differences arise between countries, dialogue among equals and friendly consultation are the best means of reaching a settlement. Like most other countries, China hopes that the United States, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant General Assembly resolutions, will put an end as soon as possible to its blockade against Cuba, and also hopes that relations between the two countries will continue to improve, thus promoting stability and development in the entire Latin American and Caribbean region.
Colombia
[Original: Spanish] [15 May 2014] On 29 October 2013 Colombia voted in favour of the draft resolution on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, in accordance with the traditional position of the Government of Colombia on this resolution. Likewise, by virtue of the aforementioned resolution and the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, our country has neither enacted nor applied any unilateral laws or measures against Cuba or any other Member State, in keeping with its policy of respect for international law and commitment to the principles of political independence, self-determination of peoples and non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations. Consequently, Colombia promotes the independent development of the internal policies of every nation and believes that any measure that undermines economic and commercial development and the well-being of the population should cease. Colombia believes that Member States must make progress in building cooperative and friendly relations on the basis of multilateralism and respect for the principle of sovereign equality and other provisions enshrined in Chapter I of the Charter of the United Nations.
Comoros
[Original: English] [20 May 2014] The Government of the Union of the Comoros reaffirms its obligation under the Charter of the United Nations and thus has not promulgated or applied any laws or regulations with extraterritorial effects that affect the sovereignty of other States. Therefore, the Government of the Comoros supports the immediate lifting of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba.
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Congo
[Original: French] [17 April 2014] The Republic of the Congo maintains excellent relations with all countries of the world in accordance with the principles of peaceful coexistence and international cooperation based on the Charter of the United Nations. To that end, the Republic encourages the peaceful settlement of disputes based on dialogue, tolerance and mutual understanding among all parties. Therefore, the Government of the Republic of the Congo condemns the embargo and unilateral decisions imposed for decades on the Republic of Cuba, which are inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and public international law. Consequently, the Government of the Republic of the Congo calls for the outright lifting of the embargo imposed on the Republic of Cuba. The Congo reiterates its solidarity with the Cuban Government and people and will support all recommendations regarding the lifting of these measures in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly.
Costa Rica
[Original: Spanish] [30 May 2014] Costa Rica, committed to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, has supported General Assembly resolution 68/8 and previous versions of the resolution concerning the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba, in particular through the Helms-Burton Act. Costa Rica deems this embargo to be a real obstacle to international trade. This position has been part of the foreign policy of Costa Rica, which advocates the elimination of the unilateral and extraterritorial application of national measures by a State through the imposition of its own laws and legal system on third countries. Costa Rica is firmly convinced that differences between countries must be addressed only through dialogue and multilateral mechanisms, and it reiterates its total rejection of unilateral measures applied by any State against another. Costa Rica has reiterated on various occasions that any political, economic or military sanctions imposed on States should result from the decisions or recommendations of the Security Council or the General Assembly alone. At the national level, Costa Rica has not taken any actions under General Assembly resolution 68/8, since there are no actions to implement. However, at the international level, it has consistently stressed the need to lift the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba because it believes that, after so many decades, the Cuban people are the ones most severely affected. Costa Rica has defended the right of peoples to self-determination and deplores any measure that negatively affects the civilian population. Nevertheless, it recognizes
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the need for the Cuban authorities to make progress towards compliance with democratic standards and full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In keeping with its policy of respect for international law and commitment to the principles of political independence, self-determination of peoples and non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations, Costa Rica reiterates its support for the international community’s repeated calls for the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba. At the second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held in Havana on 28 and 29 January 2014, the member States issued a special declaration on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, in which they reiterated their strongest opposition to coercive economic measures not supported by international law, including unilateral measures imposed against sovereign countries for political reasons. These measures impair the well-being of their peoples and are designed to prevent these countries from exercising their right to determine, of their own free will, their political, economic and social systems.
Côte d’Ivoire
[Original: French] [28 May 2014] The Ivorian Government has never adopted any economic or trade measures affecting the freedom of international trade. Faithful to its policy of openness and dialogue aimed at resolving disputes between individuals and between States, it has voted in favour of all previous resolutions on this question. Côte d’Ivoire will continue, within this framework, to work towards full implementation of the resolutions on the embargo, which has a continuing impact on Cuba and the Cuban people.
Croatia
[Original: English] [29 May 2014] The Republic of Croatia, guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, fully implements resolution 68/8, and has never promulgated or applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to the said resolution.
Cuba
[Original: Spanish] [7 July 2014]
Introduction
The period covered by this report was characterized by the intensification of the genocidal policy of embargo that the United States Government has pursued
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against Cuba for the past 55 years, ignoring the systematic and growing clamour of the international community to put an immediate end to it. The United States’ ever greater determination to expand the scope of its extraterritorial influence was manifested, in particular, in its unprecedented harassment of banking and financial activity. As a result, the everyday running of the country in all spheres of economic, social, cultural and political life continued to be seriously hampered, as is illustrated below. Bringing about “hunger, desperation and overthrow of government” 1 continues to be the stated purpose of the Government of the United States. To achieve it, it continues to resort to any ways and means at its disposal: from the absurd and cynical inclusion of Cuba on the list published each year by the State Department of countries sponsoring international terrorism to other more subtle methods, such as the subversive ZunZuneo project, referred to below. The complex and convoluted set of laws and political and administrative rules governing the embargo is not being repealed. On the contrary, it is being strengthened and its ongoing validity reaffirmed. The annual extension of the Trading with the Enemy Act, promulgated as a wartime measure in 1917 to restrict trade with nations considered to be hostile, speaks volumes. On 12 September 2013, in a memorandum addressed to the United States Secretaries of State and the Treasury and disseminated by the White House, President Obama once again demonstrated his determination to persist with his policy of aggression and hostility towards Cuba. Cuba and the United States are not at war. There have never been any acts of military aggression from Cuban soil against the United States nor has Cuba fostered any acts of terrorism against the people of the United States. The measures taken under that Executive Order cannot therefore be justified. As has been said before, the embargo constitutes an act of genocide under the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948 and of an act of economic war, in accordance with the Declaration concerning the laws of naval war, adopted by the London Naval Conference of 1909. The embargo significantly impairs the material, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing of the Cuban people. Because of the policy, Cuba remains unable to freely export and import goods and services to or from the United States and cannot use the United States dollar i n its international financial transactions or hold accounts in that currency with third - country banks. It is also denied access to loans from banks in the United States, their subsidiaries in third countries and international institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank. This report contains numerous examples of the economic harm done by the embargo to the Cuban people in the period between April 2013 and June 2014. It lays bare, yet again, the scope of the extraterritorial nature of the cruel United States
______1 Lester D. Mallory, “Memorandum from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Mallory) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs” (Rubottom), 6 April 1960, Department of State.
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policy designed to isolate a small country for having defended its sovereignty and its right to freely choose its future. There is not a single sphere of the economic and social activities of the Cuban people that remains unscathed by the destruction and destabilization brought about by this illegal policy. The economic damage to the Cuban people as a result of the United States economic, commercial and financial embargo, taking into account the depreciation of the dollar against the price of gold on the international market, amounts to US$ 1,112,534,000,000, despite the decline in the value of gold compared to the previous period. At current prices, over all these years, the embargo has inflicted damages worth more than US$ 116,888 million. The embargo against Cuba must cease. It is the most unjust, severe, and long- lived system of unilateral sanctions ever applied to a country. On 22 occasions, the General Assembly has voted, by an overwhelming majority, for respect for international law, fulfilment of the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and the right of the Cuban people to choose its own destiny. That vote must be respected.
I. The embargo violates the rights of the Cuban people Effects on socially sensitive sectors
1.1. Right to health
“The extension to all peoples of the benefits of medical, psychological and related knowledge is essential to the fullest attainment of health ...”2 Health has been one of the pillars of the Cuban political system since the triumph of the revolution in 1959. The priority accorded it is backed by Article 50 of the Constitution and manifested in the results the country has achieved for the past 56 years. Cuba’s presidency of the World Health Assembly, which took place in May 2014, reflects a high level of global recognition of the country’s efforts in this field. However, the genocidal United States embargo constantly weighs on Cuba’s health system, seriously impairing the health and wellbeing of the Cuban people. It results, above all, in the need to acquire medicine, reagents, spare parts for equipment used for diagnoses and treatment, medical and surgical instruments and other supplies from distant markets, often having to go through intermediaries, thereby unnecessarily increasing health sector costs. Although only a portion of these negative impacts can be calculated in monetary terms, for the period under review the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) of the Republic of Cuba conservatively estimates the harm done at US$ 66.5 million. However, no figure, however high, can reflect and explain the intangible costs of the social and human implications of the damage done because of the impossibility of accessing latest-generation inputs, technology, knowledge, and other resources that are vital for this humanly sensitive area.
______2 Constitution of the World Health Organization, 1946.
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Following is a summary of some of the difficulties encountered by the public health sector in the period under review: – The National Centre for Medical Genetics has had difficulty purchasing the equipment and reagents needed for its laboratories to function properly, which directly impacts development of the national programme for diagnosing, handling, and preventing genetic diseases and congenital defects. Its Molecular Biology Laboratory, in particular, is encountering serious obstacles in its attempts to purchase reagents made by firms located in the United States. They include such reagents as single-strand conformational polymorphism gels and tension kits with silver, used to diagnose conditions like cystic fibrosis, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, galactosemia, and others. There were also obstacles to acquiring AmnioMAX, a complete medium used for the culture of prenatal human cells, which makes it possible to conduct chromosomal studies of pregnant women over 37 years of age or with pathologies detected by ultrasound. It was impossible to purchase the software for the Shimadzu brand of spectrofluorometer because it contains US software. That instrument is used to conduct the studies needed to diagnose diseases triggered by inborn errors of metabolism. – The Dr Rafael Estrada Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (INN) was unable to purchase an angiograph, used to study the vascular system of patients with neurological disorders, because it contains U.S. components. An order for it had already been placed with Philips, but the firm indicated that it had no United States license for selling it to Cuba. – The Cuban Society of Allergy and its National Group were unable to buy the replacement parts needed for chromatography equipment purchased from Pharmacia. – The William Soler Hospital Paediatric Cardiology Centre was unable to purchase better-quality nutrients, such as aminosteryl, which is especially important for the pre- and postoperative treatment of malnourished patients with complex and critical cadiopathies. It is only produced by ABBOT Laboratories, of U.S. origin. – The Gastroenterology Institute has seen its costs go up for the purchase of medicine that is essential for treating chronic and disabling disorders in children and adolescents, since it has had to import from more remote markets. United States, European and/or Japanese laboratories manufacturing retroviral medicines such as Tenofovir (used to treat Hepatitis B) and Telaprevir (used to treat Hepatitis C) fear United States penalties if they trade with Cuba. – The National Electromedicine Centre has come up against obstacles in its attempts to purchase, directly and first-hand, replacement parts and accessories for Philips multiparameter MP2 monitors and Heartstart XL defibrillators, because they are of U.S. origin. – The Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery lacks the non-fluoroscopic three-dimensional anatomical mapping equipment produced by the U.S. firms Biosense Webster and St Jude Medical. That prevents the
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Institute from performing ablations in complex arrhythmia cases, which means that costs are incurred of between Euros 15,000 and 18,000 per patient treated abroad (in Italy), not counting travel and per diem expenses. – The Hermanos Amejeiras Hospital cannot purchase the green laser or green light KTP for treating patients with prostatic hyperplasia, which is very useful in cases needing uninterrupted anticoagulant therapy or patients suffering from coagulation disorders. The threat of huge fines on the producers of this fruit of scientific progress makes the price of acquiring the equipment prohibitive for the Cuban health authorities. – The Haematology and Immunology Institute reports an annual average of 72 cases of leukaemia in children, three-quarters of which are acute lymphoid cases. The L-asparaginasa enzyme is used to treat it, which is obtained primarily from the Escherichia coli bacteria, to which a number of patients are allergic. Nevertheless, other options, such as the enzyme modified by polyethylene glycol (in pegylated form) or that obtained from the Erwinia carotovora bacteria, which has been available for more than 10 years, are banned for sale to Cuba because they originate in the United States. – Several consignments of supplies to the MediCuba company, which imports and exports medical products, were cancelled during the period under review, causing extra expense to the country and periods in which several products were out of stock. Shunts used to treat hydrocephalus used to be obtained from the U.S. manufacturer Integra NeuroSciences through Carimed Canada, a provider. However, it has suspended its deliveries to Cuba since late 2013 on the orders of the Treasury Department. Finding a substitute cost Cuba roughly US$ 60,000 more and hampered execution of the Maternal and Child Health Care Program. Also under pressure from the Treasury Department, the German supplier MAQUET stopped delivery of the “servo” humidifiers used for ventilation in seriously ill adult and paediatric patients because they contained U.S. components. This forced Cuba to look for suppliers of compatible products in other markets, evaluate samples, and register products in order to restore supply. The suspension of deliveries meant that health care services were out of stock for more than six months.
1.2. Right to education
“... believing in full and equal opportunities for education for all, in the unrestricted pursuit of objective truth, and in the free exchange of ideas and knowledge …”3 Education is an inalienable life-long right for every Cuban. It is a fundamental principle of the Revolution, reflected in article 39 of the Constitution, and it constitutes an indisputable priority for the Cuban State. Despite the efforts of the Cuban Government to guarantee access to high quality and non-discriminatory education at every level, the embargo hampers the realization of that important right. The policy pursued by the Government of the United States continues to create, sometimes insurmountable, obstacles to collaboration on educational matters with other countries aimed at accessing the ______3 Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 1945.
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technology, knowledge and school facilities needed to raise the quality of Cuba’s educational system. Following is a brief sample of the major difficulties facing the educational sector in Cuba: – There are 982 special education workshops dedicated to preparing students for full integration in society and in the workplace. However, the restriction imposed by the United States embargo makes it difficult to access raw materials, inputs, and new technology in respect of machines, tools, instruments, and utensils needed in educational workshops. That situation is detrimental to more than 22,872 students with special education needs. – In the area of educational information technology, the embargo denies access to the I.T. tools required to produce educational multimedia or to consult bibliographic references, such as those provided by Cisco Systems, Google, Symantec, SunMicrosystems, NetBeans, Oracle, ProCite, EndNote, Reference Manager and RefViz. The licences required to access these tools have to be paid to United States companies, which is prevented by the regulations in force due to the embargo. – The University of Cienfuegos had been conducting an academic exchange programme with the University of Tacoma in Washington, with excellent results, until it was interrupted by a refusal to allow its license to be renewed. – Dr. Gordon L. Amidon, a United States Professor at the University of Michigan and creator of the biopharmaceutics classification system, was unable to attend the First Workshop on Biopharmaceutics and Bioequivalence, held from 1-5 July 2013, at the “Marta Abreu” Central University of Las Villas, Cuba. His application for permission to attend was turned down. The event was part of the activities conceived during an ALFA III (Red Biofarma) project of the European Commission. Dr. Amidon is, moreover, Editor in Chief of the Molecular Pharmaceutics journal, a member of the editorial board of more than a dozen scientific journals, an outside expert advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Director of the Drug Delivery Foundation, an international non-profit organization that promotes education, training, and research into biopharmaceutical topics and medicine distribution. – The Association for Computer Machinery-International Collegiate Programming Contest, held in Cuba every year, cannot benefit from the financial support provided by International Business Machines (IBM) as part of its global sponsorship of these events. This is detrimental not just to the Cuban participants but to those from Caribbean countries as well.
1.3. Right to food
“Food should not be used as an instrument for political and economic pressure. We reaffirm the importance of international cooperation and solidarity as well as the necessity of refraining from unilateral measures not in accordance with the international law and the Charter of the United Nations and that endanger food security.”4
______4 Declaration of the World Summit on Food Security, Rome, 16-18 November 2009.
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Cuba has established one of the most comprehensive social protection programmes in the world, as a result of which hunger has been eradicated. Food security for the population, which is tightly interwoven with the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development, is one of the country’s strategic priorities. The political determination of the Cuban Government and its outstanding achievements in the struggle to completely eradicate hunger in the country merited recognition from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the 38th Session of Conference, held in Rome, Italy, in June 2013. In transmitting the FAO’s recognition to the Cuban President, Raúl Castro Ruz, the Director General of the FAO, Mr. José Graziano da Silva, underscored the priority that the Cuban Government attaches to guaranteeing the right to food of its population and the policies it has implemented to that end. That enabled the country to meet the Millennium Development Goal on this topic before the target date of 2015. As part of Cuba’s educational system, food is provided at all preschool education centres and schools throughout the country and an effort is made in school curricula to encourage consumption of a healthy and nutritionally adequate diet. Nevertheless, the policy pursued by the United States for more than five decades against Cuba violates the Cuban people’s right to food, because it attempt to prevent routine access by Cubans to international food markets, including United States producers. The very nature of this market renders it one of the most sensitive areas affected by the embargo. The need to relocate to other, in some cases remote, markets for food imports and the consequent increases in costs and additional outlays for ocean freight; onerous exchange rates due to the ban on using the US dollar in transactions, and so on, are some of the ways the embargo affects this sector. Following are a few examples, by way of illustration: Unión Nacional Avícola has been denied access to chicken rearing technology from the United States and/or countries that use U.S. components or patents. Grupo Empresarial Porcino faces similar problems with access the latest pig farming technology. These technological factors result in lower viability rates, animal deaths from preventable and curable diseases, waste as a result of diseased animals, and an increase in the percentage of animals with disorders hampering their normal development. The joint State-private company Coracan S.A. has seen its costs go up, along with additional ocean freight charges for imported raw materials, as it is unable to buy them directly from markets nearby, such as the U.S. market. One such product is Neotame, an artificial low-calorie (non-nutritious) sweetener. The U.S. firm Nutrasweet Company, with its branches all over the world, holds a monopoly over the manufacturing and marketing of this product. Grupo Agroindustrial de Granos is unable to upgrade its 50-year-old rice industry with new technology, because the latter originates in the United States. The machinery, spare parts and replacements have to be bought in a
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market to which it is denied access. That restriction results in a 6 to 8 per cent lower quality rice for human consumption, lowering yields by between three and four thousand tons per year. In the period under review, LABIOFAM has also been seriously affected by the geographical relocation of imports of the raw material needed to produce the viral vaccines needed to ensure the health of Cuba’s livestock. Only U.S. companies sell those vaccines.
1.4. Sports and Culture
“In the face of current imbalances in flows and exchanges of cultural goods at the global level, it is necessary to reinforce international cooperation and solidarity aimed at enabling all countries, especially developing countries and countries in transition, to establish cultural industries that are viable and competitive at national and international level …”5 The Cuban Revolution has a long tradition of promoting culture and sports, spheres that have been incorporated as indispensable components in the education and development of Cuba’s citizens. The Cuban State goes to great lengths to show the world the creative capacity and talent of the Cuban people. However, the embargo continues to hamper the range of its dissemination of the country’s cultural heritage and its practice of healthy sports for all. The embargo still poses a serious obstacle to adequate promotion, dissemination and marketing of Cuban cultural talent. It severely pushes down the sales prices of Cuba’s cultural products and restricts international audiences’ enjoyment of our music. One of the primary reasons for this is the control over markets exercised by large transnational art and music corporations, which are either located in the United States or have a significant presence there. Those huge companies dominate international circuits for promoting and exhibiting artists and performers. Thus, for instance, live concerts by Cuban musicians in the United States have to be cultural exchanges, with no commercial contracts between the parties, such as those that are commonplace all over the world, to prevent the possibility of economic gain. That was what happened to Cuban artists like Buena Fe, Osmany García, Partes Privadas, the Septeto Santiaguero (nominated for the Latin Grammy award) and audio-visual producer René Arancibia, whose presentations were promoted by Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales (EGREM). The same happened to other well-known Cuban musicians, such as Ivette Cepeda, la Charanga Habanera, and the orchestra of Elito Revé and his Charangón, promoted by other Cuban companies and representation agencies. During 2013, EGREM kept records of covert marketing by foreign entrepreneurs of major Cuban musical recordings, such as the collection of compact discs of Benny Moré’s Cinco Leyendas de Cuba and Banda Gigante. It is estimated
______5 UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, Article 10 — Strengthening capacities for creation and dissemination worldwide, 2 November 2001.
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that some 5,000 units were sold at around US$ 20 each. Cuba’s lack of normal and direct access to the, particularly important, musical recording industry market in the United States, results in economic losses that are difficult to quantify. The Cuban film industry has also had to forgo possible exports to North America, given that it cannot attend the American Film Market in Los Angeles. That international market, surely one of the most important in the world, and undoubtedly the main port of entry to the US movie market, is banned for the International Sales Department of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC). There are also severe restrictions on the participation of Cuban students and teachers in events like contests, festivals, workshops and other activities on United States soil having to do with theatre, dance, ballet, the visual arts and music. Thus, the U.S. Government bans cultural agreements between similar academic institutions in the two countries that could further our students’ cultural development and artistic creativeness. Cuban sports, famous for the impact they have had at numerous events in all categories, also face hurdles hampering their development and consolidation. The embargo policy continues to hamper and sometimes prevents direct and normal relations with a series of international sports institutions, as well as the participation of athletes at major sporting events held in the United States or in Cuba. The extraterritorial scope of the measures taken under the embargo policy also pushes up the cost of external financing and hinders the purchase of athletic equipment. In some cases, Cuba has had to dispense with the acquisition of high-level sports equipment, most of which is manufactured by United States companies, or, at best, it has resorted to remote markets to purchase it at much higher cost. Despite this hostile policy, the Cuban Government has not ceased providing access to sports for all its citizens. Nevertheless, it must be stressed that the effects of the embargo create daily shortages that affect development in this field. Cuba has been subject to restrictions on the purchase of the Louisville, Wilson, Xbat, Rawlings, and Easton sports gear, which is produced by U.S. companies, much of it obligatory under the official rules of international federations. As a result, Cuba has had to resort to purchasing it from third countries, at higher cost. Cuba’s Instituto de Medicina Deportiva (Sports Medicine Institute) has been unable to purchase reagents and reference substances for its Antidoping Laboratory, as these are produced by U.S, companies or their subsidiaries in third countries. One example is the monoclonal antibodies to detect human erythropoietin, one of the signs of doping. Only U.S. companies produce those antibodies. The same is true of a haematological complex used to construct Cuban athletes’ blood screening profile (“passport”). Specialists at the Sports Research Centre have been unable to attend scientific meetings in the United States and United States experts have not been allowed to travel to events held in Cuba. Similarly, athletes at academic establishments have also been denied the opportunity of taking part in joint training exercise. During the period under review, six visits by United States students interested in sports exchanges were cancelled, because they were denied the permits needed to travel to Cuba.
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II. The embargo is an obstacle to the country’s development External sector impacts
“States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries.”6 The imposition of the set of measures regulated under the embargo is, as indicated above, intended to restrict the country’s development and deliberately foster discouragement and desperation among Cuban citizens. The harm this inflicts extends to all spheres of the country’s economy; not one of them escapes the set of unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S. Government. In today’s world, the embargo acts as a serious barrier to the granting of concessionary loans to Cuba, the transfer of advanced technology, the mobilization of foreign capital, foreign direct investment, protection of the environment, and the country’s full integration into the global economy. Annual losses to the Cuban economy amount to billions of dollars, the major part of which are losses in the form of forgone revenue from exports of goods and services; the expenses involved in relocating trade, especially expenses incurred due to the immobilization of inventory; and monetary and financial losses due to economic agents’ exposure to shifting exchange rates (the US$ cannot be used either to pay or to collect); and increased financing costs. One of the sectors hardest-hit by the embargo is the tourist industry and related economic activities. In the period covered by this report, it is estimated that Cuban tourism sector forwent US$ 2,052.5 million, in decisive sectors, such as services, travel agency transactions and logistical support. Because of the embargo laws, the Cuban tourism industry cannot exploit the United States tourist potential in an orderly manner, for instance by offering cruise ship vacations or taking advantage of Cuba’s beaches and waterfronts. Furthermore, the extraterritorial scope of the U.S. measures ends up damaging other outbound tourist markets. Agencies of Cuba’s Havanatur company, located in Canada (Hola Sun Holidays, Limited and Canada Inc. (Caribe Sol)), face higher credit card processing costs. Credit card companies charged them 3.79 per cent, 1.6 per cent more than the average charged other tour operators located in Canada. The impossibility of using payment gateways dealing in US dollars, such as Webpay, PayPal, PayOnline and so on, which are the ones most commonly used in the market, forces Cuba to pay for the development of specific online payment modules for the online sales of Cuban enterprises located abroad. In 201, the AzubaPay payment gateway was established at a start-up and customization cost of 4,000 euros. Given the need to have more than one payment gateway we would be obliged to add another at a similar cost. Moreover, the charges applied to financial
______6 Paragraph 26, “The Future We Want”, outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (see resolution 66/288 of the General Assembly).
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transactions relating to Cuba, which are considered high-risk due to the persecution of U.S. Government agencies, are 1 per cent above the international average. Cuba’s industrial development is another sphere reporting losses, estimated at US$ 95.9 million [in the period under review], essentially due to the higher cost of imports from the geographical relocation of markets, the additional costs of immobilized inventory, and monetary and financial penalties. The steel industry; national plant and equipment manufacturers; the manufacturing of medical equipment, sanitary fittings, and other consumer goods; the recycling industry and other segments of Cuban industry all constantly face obstacles to the production, importing, and marketing of all kinds of inputs that the country needs to make its economy grow. In Cuba’s hydraulic sector, which is vital for the population’s access to water and sanitation, the firm Cubahidráulica reported losses amounting to US$ 3.74 million derived from difficulties finding a suitable market for raw materials imports and from higher financing costs for its procurement operations. The construction industry calculates losses totalling US$ 27.6 million, as a result of the inability to access more efficient, lightweight technologies, requiring fewer raw materials and energy components. Being closely tied to tourism and other sectors in the economic and social life of the country, all forms of transportation (land, air and sea transport; port and airport services; and road and highway construction and maintenance) were hit by the embargo. The damage done in this sector is estimated at US$ 540.1 million. Civil aviation, the principal form of transportation for visitors to the country, suffered losses totalling US$ 275.8 million, as a result of the various obstacles it encountered in the period under review. The Cubana de Aviación airline had to change its provider of online gateway payment services because the Credit Mutuel bank notified it, in October 2012, that it could no longer process Visa and MasterCard funds for the airline. Similarly, when the airline reopened flights to and from Habana and Sao Paulo, Brazil, it found itself denied use of the BSP system, 7 which limited its sales on that route. Cuban communications is one of the country’s most sensitive sectors and it is constantly subject to U.S. attacks. On top of the economic damage caused by the US policy of hostility towards Cuba, very conservatively estimated as US$ 32.4 million, one should add the constant violations of Cuba’s radio spectrum and the use of new information technologies to promote destabilization in Cuban society. In April 2014, Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba, ETECSA, complained that through October 2013 there had been 219 operations involving mass dispatches of spam and junk email from the United States to Cuba, totalling 1,055,746 unsolicited texts on the Island’s mobile telephony network, in a clear violation of United States and international law.
______7 Billing and Settlement Plan: a uniform system for both airlines and travel agencies that provides a simplified way of managing and issuing airline tickets.
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The attacks did not just come from the ZunZuneo network, a covert US Government operation against Cuba recently disclosed by Associated Press and denounced by Cuba and Nemours international organizations. The spam attacks on Cuba’s telephony network have also stemmed, since 2011, from other United States government projects, with the avowed purpose of “regime change in Cuba”, such as Martínoticias. On 13 April 2011, Martínoticias launched the first of many mass Short Message Service dispatches to Cuba. Such attacks were also carried out by other media receiving funding from the US Government for illegal actions in Cuba, such as the digital publications Cubasincensura and Diario de Cuba. Like the ZunZuneo project, Martínoticias has used fraudulently obtained telephone numbers, thereby violating the privacy of citizens and the laws governing communications in both Cuba and the United States. This circumstance was exacerbated by severe I.T. attacks on Cuba’s information and communications networks, in violation of international la w and the most elementary rules supposed to ensure a peaceful, orderly, and secure cyberspace. All this contrasts with the denial to Cuba, by the United States authorities themselves, of access to the equipment, technology, network connections and optical fibre networks surrounding the island and to other resources that would facilitate the country’s development and progress in the area of information technologies.
2.1. Foreign trade and foreign investment
As mentioned on previous occasions, Cuba’s insularity and the state of its development explain the high impact of foreign trade on its access to advanced technology, the mobilization of foreign capital, access to loans, foreign investment promotion and international cooperation. The imposition of laws of an extraterritorial nature directly impacts foreign trade and the promotion of direct foreign investment in the country, one of the main targets in the United States’ economic war on Cuba. Damage to Cuba’s foreign trade, in the period covered in this analysis, is estimated at US$ 3.9 billion. The main impacts are recorded under forgone revenue from exports of goods and services, because Cuban exporters are excluded from the United States market. Thus, if only traditional Cuban products, such as tobacco and rum, had non-discriminatory access to the U.S. market, the country would have some US$ 205.8 million dollars extra that could be used to strengthen social protection programmes for all citizens. Financing costs for commercial transactions are increasing because they are directly proportional to perceived “country risk”, which in turn is shaped by the constant threat of sanctions against those who trade with or invest in Cuba. Likewise, Cuban marketing entities are forced to spend large additional amounts for freight and insurance because of the ban on ships arriving in Cuba entering United States ports. That means that goods have to be transferred to other
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ships in third country ports, thereby increasing the costs of the exporting/importing process. As for foreign investments, the well-known Torricelli and Helms-Burton laws are designed to obstruct them, because they fail to recognize the legitimacy of the nationalizations carried out in Cuba following the triumph of the revolution in 1959. The persecution of investors in Cuba includes denying them access to advanced U.S. technology; denial of access to the U.S. market of the exports such investments might generate; the denial of financing from U.S. banks to carry out the investments; higher costs for other sources of financing due to the extraterritorial actions built into United States laws; and the imposition of penalties on third country entities for doing business with Cuba.
2.2. Finance
The implacable persecution of Cuban financial transactions is one of the more visible aspects of U.S. attempts to strangle the Cuban economy. In a globalized world, normal and transparent relations between banking institutions are essential for guaranteeing the financial resources needed to support national policies designed to achieve each country’s sustainable development. International finance in Cuba is one of the areas in which the damage wrought by the United States onslaught against the Cuban nation is most apparent. Bowing to the pressure exerted by the embargo, more and more foreign financial and banking institutions are closing Cuban accounts and restricting their business with Cuba. As a result, the foreign firms working with those banks will have to perform their transactions via intermediary banks, with which they do not necessarily have accounts. Thad leads to the additional costs of intermediation being passed on to the Cuban importer. Thus, the elimination and restriction of the provision of services by correspondent banks has financial repercussions that are difficult to quantify but that add to Cuban importers’ costs, as they are obliged to alter their usual collection and payment structures. That comes on top of the reiterated and permanent economic damage wrought by the high exchange rate risk caused by the impossibility of using the US dollar as a means of payment and instead having to use other currencies for the country’s collections and payments. Numerous obstacles illustrate the difficulties facing the banking system. They include: (a) The banking and financial information system that Reuters used to provide not just to Cuba’s banks but to other foreign trade entities as well was suspended at the end of the third quarter of 2013. That meant taking a technological step backwards, leading to delays, insecurity and higher costs for banks in the system.
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As a result, negotiations with other banks are conducted via e-mail and telephone, limiting the capacity of Cuban entities to communicate professionally and securely with international financial institutions. (b) Difficulties with using FHL’s (Correos de Cuba) courier service, because the documentation cannot go through the territory of the United States of America. (c) SWIFT8 PanAmericas again refused to allow the Cuban Group of Users to attend the Second Latin American Regional Conference (LARC), held in July 2013 in a Latin American country. The headquarters of that international organization, located in a country in the region, sent a letter saying it was not possible to register any Cuban citizen for the Conference due to U.S. sanctions against Cuba. (d) The cancellation, without notice, of a Cuban bank’s license to use Astaro, a product that functions as a firewall 9 for Internet connection. The license belonged to a European firm that was then merged into a British/U.S. entity. The series of obstacles imposed on Cuba renders all transactions more expensive, because transactions have to be processed through third parties. In addition, Cuba has still not been able to renew its subscription to the services provided by Banker’s Almanac, which are of great use for commercial banks’ dealings with correspondent banks, ever since it merged with Accuity, which has U.S. capital. The imposition by the United States of sanctions against a group of foreign banks for conducting or in some way intervening in negotiations or transactions with Cuba obstructs Cuban banks’ correspondent banking relations with foreign banks as well as future direct investment operations and purchases of goods for the national economy. Moreover, foreign banks have proceeded to close accounts held by Cuban banking institutions and to cancel RMA10 passwords, in some cases without prior notice, even in the middle of commercial operations. The strong pressure exerted by United States interests in the region renders it impossible to transfer funds from and to Latin America. That being so, only modest progress has been made with reaching correspondent banking agreements. That directly affects the sending of family member remittances to Cuba, be they from Cuban citizens residing in Latin American countries or from family members of the large number of students from the region studying in Cuba. Those interested in remitting payments to their family members are therefore obliged to use non-banking or informal channels. The embargo and its extraterritorial enforcement have led some banks in Europe to refuse to confirm dollar-denominated letters of credit, even if they are payable in euros and to appear as the advising bank for these payment instruments issued by Cuban banks.
______8 Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. 9 Part of an I.T. system or network designed to block unauthorized access, while at the same time allowing authorized communications. 10 Relationship Management Application (RMA): Authorizations swapped among correspondent banks, which make it possible to filter and limit messaging and the type of message sent.
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During the period under review, the Cuban banking system was negatively affected by the actions of 27 foreign banking institutions, in a variety of ways, as illustrated by the following examples. • Closing of the accounts of Cuban banking institutions by six foreign banks: four in Europe, one in Asia, and on in Latin America. • Ending of a correspondent banking arrangement with a bank in Europe. • Cancellation of five RMA passwords via Swift by two banks in Latin America, two in Asia, and one in Europe. • Refusal to provide banking services by five banking institutions: three in Europe and two in Asia; and refusal to process specific operations, at given moments, by ten banks: five in Europe, two in Asia, and three in Latin America. • Refusal to process and/or confirm letters of credit by seven foreign banks: six in Europe and one in Latin America. In recent months, the United States authorities have stepped up their practice of imposing huge fines on banks and other financial institutions, of any country, for establishing normal relations with Cuba. The most alarming and dangerous instance in the period under review is that involving the French bank BNP Paribas, one of the biggest in Europe. According to the information received, the U.S. authorities have imposed a “mega fine” amount to US$ 8,970 million for violating the regulations governing the embargo against Cuba, as well as sanctions against other countries. As a result, BNP Paribas has cancelled all relations with Cuban entities, further hampering economic ties between the two countries. For over 50 years, the U.S. government has kept in force the laws, provisions and practices sustaining a policy that is neither legal nor legitimate and is deliberately designed to choke Cuba materially and financially.
2.3. Section 211 of the 1999 United States Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, and further acts patent- and trademark- related violations
As part of the economic onslaught on Cuba, the policy of stealing Cuban trademarks and patents persists, with the clear goal of further continuing to damage the country’s economy. It was in that context that the well-known Section 211 of the 1999 Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act was adopted and entered in force. Twelve years have elapsed since the World Trade Organization’s Dispute Settlement Body (WTO/DSB) confirmed that Section 211 violated the national treatment and most-favoured-nation obligations assumed by the United States under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
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The DSB also requested that the United States Government end that measure, which is incompatible with the obligations imposed by the TRIPS Agreement, to which the United States is a party Section 211 is increasingly rejected in the WTO given its serious implications for the multilateral trade system, which the United States purports to defend. The United States’ blind obsession with harming Cuba’s economy at any cost, in this case in the sphere of industrial property, is nothing more than a vulgar and cynical violation of United States commitments concerning industrial property, by which it is obligated to protect the trademarks of Cuban companies and institutions. In accordance with international law, the United States is responsible for ensuring that its laws, regulations and legal and administrative procedures are consistent with its obligations under the WTO agreements and international treaties on trademarks and patents to which it is a State party. Some plaintiffs in the United States are still planning to appropriate Cuban trademarks and patents as a form of compensation on the basis of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, adopted in 2002 and extended until 2014. Cuba, for its part, has invariably respected, without the slightest discrimination, the obligations it incurred under international legal instrument s relating to industrial property, ensuring that more than 5,000 United States trademarks and patents have been registered in the country.
III. The embargo violates international law Extraterritorial enforcement
The United States government insists that it is being “more flexible” in its aggressive policy towards Cuba, but the facts belie that assertion. What particularly characterizes the current U.S. stance is its insistence on punishing third parties for maintaining normal relations with Cuba, and the absurd claim that its laws have universal validity when it comes to the Cuban people. This behaviour runs counter to all standards of international law that promote peaceful coexistence among the world’s nations, starting with the Charter of the United Nations itself. It reflects the thirst for hegemony intrinsic in U.S. Government behaviour, as it issues laws that it seeks to make binding for third parties in order to cudgel them into attacking our people. Just to convey an idea of the scope of the financial persecution of Cuba, just between January 2009 and 2 June 2014 the Obama administration obliged 36 U.S. and foreign entities to pay almost US$ 2.6 billion for having ties with Cuba and other countries. Add to those arbitrary acts the fine meted out to the French bank BNP Paribas and the total amounts to over US$ 11 billion.
3.1. Sanctions against Cuban entities
– On 28 May 2013, and as part of the attempt to justify including Cuba on the spurious list of countries sponsoring terrorism, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury published its annual report on the assets of the countries on the unilateral list. According to that
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report, at December 31, 2012, the volume of frozen funds in which the Government of Cuba or Cuban nationals have a stake amounts to US$ 253.1 million, US$ 8.1 million more than in 2011. – On 12 August 2013, the Cuban sports website Jit.com reported that the U.S. Government had denied a visa to sports officials José Echezarreta Menéndez and William García Benítez, who were to take part, respectively, as Referee and Head of the Cuban Delegation in the Pan American Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Puerto Rico. The website added that Cuba could be fined for not taking a referee to the Championship as the rules required. – On 26 November 2013, the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C., announced a temporary closure of Consular Services due to the refusal by the U.S, banks M&T to handle Cuban diplomatic mission accounts in the United States. In early December 2013, the Cuban diplomatic office reported that, despite intense negotiations, it had been impossible to find a bank based in the United States that was prepared to handle its bank accounts: a situation that continued as this report was finalized. This state of affairs led to the suspension of consular services for Cuba’s largest and most numerous consular district abroad, thereby affecting visits by family members to and from both countries as well as exchanges in a number of spheres during the first quarter of this year. – In January 2014, Cuban librarians working at the National Medical Sciences Information Centre and its specialized health network, and at other similar Cuban entities, found themselves unable to take part in the cost-free Webinar “New Librarians Global Connection: Best Practices, Models and Recommendations”, because the embargo measures imposed by the United States on Cuba prevented connection for those professionals by denying them access to Adobe software I.T. tools and services. – On 17 January 2014, President Obama signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2014, which reiterates the clauses banning financing by U.S. banks for several countries, including Cuba. – On 3 March 2014, it was reported that the United States firm EdX, which sponsors an online course in aerodynamics and modern aeronautical design, blocked access to students from Cuba. – On 4 March 2014, it was reported that the University of Stanford’s online learning platform Coursera blocked access to Cuban users. – On 4 April 2014, the New York Times reported that the Indiegogo.com crowd funding site froze funds raised for the Cuban film director Miguel Coyula, after determining that transferring funds to Cuba or a Cuban resident could violate the U.S. embargo. – On 12 May 2014, the American firm Thomson Reuters confirmed to the office representing Cuba in the United States that the Department of State had banned a proposed transaction involving the exporting to Cuba of the limited version of the Eikon financial analysis software, since “it did not conform to U.S. policy towards Cuba”.
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3.2. Extraterritorial enforcement of the embargo
– On 28 June 2013, OFAC fined the Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. US$ 2,949,030 for violating the regulations governing the embargo against Cuba and sanctions against other countries. According to the announcement, the bank had processed 53 transfers to Cuba between 2004 and 2008, totalling US$ 1,643, 326. – On 22 July 2013, the Department of the Treasury announced that American Express Travel Related Services Company had agreed to pay US$ 5,226,120 for violating OFAC regulations by selling 14, 487 tickets for flights to Cuba from third countries between December 2005 and November 2011. – On 9 September 2013, OFAC imposed a fine of US$ 39,501 on the U.S. firm World Fuel Services Corporation, headquartered in Miami and specializing in providing logistical services for fuelling air, land, and naval carriers. According to OFAC, two of its subsidiaries had provided services without a permit for 30 flights to Cuba in 2007 and 2009. – On 8 October 2013, it was reported that the U.S. company PayPal blocked a donation by Canadian citizen Terry Shewchuck to a chain of veterinary clinics in Cuba because it violated the embargo laws. – On 15 October 2013, PayPal deactivated funds belonging to the German rock band “COR” that were to have financed a tour to Cuba in January 2014, because they violated US sanctions against Cuba. The move was criticized by numerous German social organizations. – On 16 October 2013, once again it was PayPal that blocked the account of the German Herzberg Tea Shop, in Hamburg, for violating the embargo laws. – In October 2013, OFAC fined the subsidiary in Colombia of the U.S. company Ameron International Corporation, US$ 34,700 for twice selling concrete piping to a company in which Cuba is a partner, between March 2005 and October 2006. – On 13 November, the United States (Federal) District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a court order instructing the Intensa Sanpaolo, S.p.A and Santander, S.A. banks to surrender information on the bank accounts of Cuban entities held in its branches in any part of the world. That Court order was in response to an action brought by plaintiff Aldo Vera, who sought to have those accounts adjudicated to him. In addition, plaintiffs Vera, Villoldo and Hausler asked the same Court to order the Standard Chartered and Mercantil Commerce banks hand over the frozen accounts of Cuban entities to satisfy its judgments against the Republic of Cuba. – On 26 November 2013, the Department of Justice announced that it was fining the Swiss petroleum company Weatherford International Ltd. and five of its subsidiaries US$ 100 million for violating the embargo laws. According to OFAC, between 2005 and 2008, Weatherford conducted 441 transactions in the amount of US$ 69,268,078 for sales of oil equipment to Cuba. That is the biggest fine imposed on a nonfinancial entity. – On 11 December 2013, OFAC fined Royal Bank of Scotland plc. (RBS) US$ 33,122,307 for violating United States sanctions against Cuba and other
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countries. According to the report, RBS conducted 24 transfers with Cuba, amounting to US$ 290,206, between August 2005 and October 2009. – On 21 January 2014, it transpired that Paypal blocked the account of Canadian citizen Alain Samson for attempting to make a transaction from Cuba, where he was on vacation. – On 21 January 2014, it transpired that the German landesbank Postbank, based in Saarland, refused to transfer 2,500 euros from Netzwerk Cuba, a solidarity with Cuba network, to the Cuba Solidarity Campaign in the United Kingdom because it violated the embargo laws. Those funds had been collected for the International Tribunal on the Five, held in London. – In early February, 2014, PriceSmart subsidiaries in Guatemala, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and other Caribbean nations refused to sell to non-resident Cuban citizens in those countries, including accredited diplomatic personnel. Particularly noteworthy in this case is the fact that the various PriceSmart managers involved invoked the United States law, not local laws, to take such absurd action. Public opinion, backed by social movements and even by the leading authorities in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), immediately rejected the move. The grave nature of the violation of the sovereignty of the nations concerned was discussed at the Seventeenth Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of CARICOM, held in Guyana on 19-20 May 2014. – On 12 March 2014, it was reported that the Enkeli Customer Partner Srl. Company was obliged by BNP Paribas to close the banking accounts relating to its work in Cuba, due to the threat of fines to be imposed by OFAC. – In March 2014, Animal Político (www.animalpolítico.com) reported that the United States Department of the Treasury had frozen US$ 100,000 pertaining to Micra, a Mexican firm engaged in the sale and distribution of microscopes for purchasing a microscope for Cuba’s Advanced Studies Centre. The manufacturer is located in the Czech Republic. The Mexican company’s funds have been retained since August 2011. – That same month, the EFE news agency and The Wall Street Journal disclosed that the French banks Société Générale and Crédit Agricole were being investigated in the United States for engaging in normal relations with Cuban entities. – On 11 March 2014, Diario Digital RD (www.diariodigital.com.do) reported the complaint filed by the Cuban embassy in the Dominican Republic regarding Shell’s decision to stop fuelling Cubana de Aviación planes at the International Airport of the Americas in Santo Domingo, the capital. – On 4 April 2014, it transpired that the Nicaraguan branch of the Mexican telephone company Claro announced that its special promotion allowing callers to extend the length of their calls could no longer be used to call Cuba, because of the embargo laws. – On 18 April 2014, it was reported that OFAC fined the Dutch travel agency CWT B.V. (CWT) US$ 5,990,490 for violating the embargo laws. According to
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the OFAC report, between August 2006 and November 2012, CWT provided travel services to and from Cuba for 44,430 people. – On 30 April 2014, Beat Schmid, the coordinator of the MediCuba-Suiza programme announced that Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second biggest bank, refused to carry out transactions — in Swiss francs — for that organization because they violated the laws of the embargo against Cuba. – On 6 May 2014, OFAC fined Decolar.com, a company registered in Delaware, in the United States, whose main offices are located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, US$ 2,809,800 for violating the embargo laws against Cuba. According to the report, between March 2009 and March 2012, Decolar.com provided travel services to 17,836 people so that they could fly from Cuba to other countries, except the United States, and make hotel reservation for their stay in Cuba, without permission from OFAC. – On 8 May 2014, OFAC fined the United States insurance company American International Group, Inc. (AIG) US$ 279,038 for violating the laws of the embargo against Cuba. According to the OFAC report, AIG subsidiaries in Canada violated the regulations against Cuba 3,560 times between January 2006 and March 2009.
3.3. Negative effect on international cooperation
– On 18 June 2013, Victor Margolin, a professor at the University of Illinois, was unable to attend the Seventh International Design Meeting Forma 2013 in La Havana, because he received no reply from the Department of the Treasury to his request to travel to Cuba, submitted three months in advance. – In March 2014, scientists from several universities in Florida stated that the embargo had hampered their maritime research by preventing them from traveling to our country to exchange findings with their Cuban counterparts. As one of the academics pointed out, the purpose was to work with Cuban colleagues on a study that could lead to an improvement in coral reef conditions, prevent over-fishing and create greater awareness of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. – On 28 January 2014, the San Francisco Bay View daily newspaper reported on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) investigations into the nongovernmental organization “Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO), headed until his death by the Reverend Lucius Walker. The IFCO organizes medical studies for young U.S. citizens in Cuba. – The Ministry of Public Health’s Central Medical Cooperation Unit points out that in 2014 the Gabon Medical Brigade was unable to remit US$ 370,000 due to the refusal by the BNP Paribas bank, currently threatened with an OFAC fine, to process the necessary transfers.
IV. Universal rejection of the embargo
The genocidal policy of embargo against Cuba is encountering constantly increasing opposition, both internationally and within the United States, as more and more protesters call for the lifting of the unilateral sanctions.
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4.1 Internal U.S. opposition
Numerous well-known people and organizations within the United States have joined this just demand for sanctions to be lifted. Thus: • On 18 May 2013, U.S. Representative Kathy Castor, a Democratic from Florida, published an article in the Tampa Bay Times entitled “What I learned from my trip to Cuba”, in which she voices the need for the United States to recognizes the changes coming about in Cuba. She also urges President Obama and Secretary of State, John Kerry, to take steps to promote direct talks with Cuba and urges them to lift the embargo, eliminate travel restrictions for U.S. nationals or at least establish a general license to that end, normalize bilateral relations, and take Cuba off the list of terrorist States. In that context, she urges expansion of trade with Cuba so as to take advantage of the port of Mariel and increased cooperation in fields such as oil exploration and the environment. In Castor’s view, there would be major advantages for Tampa and the United States stemming from better relations with Cuba. • On 10 June 2013, the Northwest Florida Daily News published an editorial calling on U.S. citizens to visit Cuba legally through people-to-people contacts. It also advocated an end to the embargo and urged its readers to ignore Senator Marco Rubio (Republican-Florida) and Representatives for Southern Florida. • On 2 July 2013, the Washington Post daily newspaper published an article by Katrina vanden Heulen, editor of The Nation, entitled “U.S. should end Cuba embargo”. It points out that the embargo is a policy frozen in time that has only served to increase Cuba’s prestige and isolate the United States from Latin America; and it underscores the positive direction of economic change on the island, assuring its readers that the time for threatening Cuba has come and gone and what the United States should do its increase its sphere of influence. It advocates an end to travel restrictions for U.S. citizens and to the inclusion of Cuba on the list of countries sponsoring terrorism. • On 10 July 2013, referring to the amendment proposed by U.S. Representative Mario Díaz-Balart (Republican-Florida) to the FY14 Financial Services Appropriations Bill, aimed at prohibiting people-to-people educational visits, the minority leader on the Financial Services Subcommittee, José Serrano (Democrat-New York), dubbed the proposal the “Jay Z-Beyoncé Act” and pointed out that its objective was “to please the Anti-Cuban extreme right based in Miami”. • On 24 July 2013, nine members of Congress, led by U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (Democrat-Connecticut), sent a letter to the Secretary of State, urging him to grant visas to Cuban officials, scientists and academics. The members of Congress commended the Obama measures on family member visits and the revival of “people to people” trips. They described the granting of a visa to the United States Director of Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and her meeting with Assistant Secretary of State, Roberta Jackson, as “pragmatic”. At the same time, they criticized the decision to deny visas to a dozen Cuban
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academics, who wanted to attend the International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association.11 • On 30 July 2013, U.S. Representative Kathy Castor sent a letter to congressional leaders, arguing in favour of “people to people” exchanges as a way of bringing both countries closer to one another. She criticized the imposition of costly regulations and the policy pursued by the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives of restricting U.S. citizens’ constitutional right to travel. She suggested paring down the bureaucracy and broadening general permits, which would save the Government money and benefit small enterprises in the U.S., the tourist industry, and Tampa’s International Airport. She also commended the stance taken by that city’s Chamber of Commerce against the restrictions. • On 16 August 2013, the Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments, which comprises the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin, adopted a resolution condemning the US embargo against Cuba and arguing that that policy restricted trade potential. • On 26 September 2013, the Reverend Richard Pates, Chair of the International Justice and Peace Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, sent a letter to Susan Rice, National Security Advisor to the White House, demanding that the Obama Administration lift the embargo, normalize relations with Cuba, and remove the island from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism. • On 27-30 September 2013, the Reverend Jesse Jackson visited Havana and declared from there that the United States should lift the embargo and that the church should fight for that cause. • On 21 October 2013, it was reported that over a dozen religious leaders in the United States had sent a letter to President Obama asking him to take three steps to normalize relations”: establish a high-level dialogue, remove Cuba from the list of countries co-sponsoring terrorism, and lift the restrictions on travel by U.S. citizens. One of the signatories is John McCullough, the President of Church World Service. • On 8 November 2013, U.S. Representative Barbara Lee sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry, thanking the President for the changes he made to U.S. policy towards Cuba and calling upon him to go further. It urged him to use his presidential prerogatives to initiate a direct high-level dialogue with the Cuban Government, exclude our country from the list of terrorist States, and lift travel restrictions for U.S. citizens wishing to visit Cuba. It attached a letter signed by 55 academic, humanitarian, religious, cultural and business organizations advocating a change of policy towards Cuba. • Also on 8 November 2013, the World Council of Churches adopted a resolution urging the Government of the United States to lift the embargo and normalize relations with Cuba.
______11 LASA.
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• On 8 November, during a fundraising event for the Democratic Party, President Obama acknowledged the obsolescence of U.S. policy towards Cuba, when he questioned its effectiveness under current conditions. He told his listeners: “We have to be creative and we have to be thoughtful and we have to continue to update our policies”. • On 20 November 2013, in an interview conducted by Cuba Standard, U.S. Representative Kathy Castor reiterated her opposition to the U.S. Government’s restrictions on travel to Cuba, since they violate the constitutional rights of American citizens. • On 15 December 2013, the New York-based news site specializing in economic matters published an editorial stating that President Obama had done “little to fix the U.S.’s failed Cuba policy” and stressing that he had merely restored the status quo under the Clinton Administration. It urged him to make new changes by using his executive authority. The article adds that a minority in Congress persisted in its defence of an embargo that that “hurts U.S. interests and undermines its values”. It emphasizes that cooperation with Cuba on issues such as cleaning up oil spills and fighting drug traffickers is “increasingly important”. It recommends that the U.S. Government take Cuba off the State Department’s list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, because the State Department itself acknowledges that the Cuban Government does not provide weapons or assistance to terrorist groups. • On 2 January 2014, the People’s World published an editorial entitled “After 55 years, time to end the embargo against Cuba”, which recognized that successive U.S. administrations and their allies in other countries had done everything possible to put an end to the Cuban revolutionary process. The editorial notes that the votes against the embargo in the United Nations General Assembly have shown how isolated the United States is in its policy towards Cuba. It states that the embargo has not only caused billions of dollars of losses to the Cuban economy and obstructed Cubans’ access to technical and medical supplies; it has also meant loss of jobs and export opportunities for the United States. The editorial also demands an end to the restrictions on travel by U.S. citizens to Cuba and an end to the blockade. It suggests that accomplishing these changes will entail visiting members of Congress, contacting the White House and the State Department, writing letters to the editor and op eds in the press, and organizing and participating in demonstrations. • On 2 January 2014, The Washington Post published statements by Alfonso Fanjul, the sugar entrepreneur of Cuban origin, in which he questions current U.S. policy towards Cuba and suggests looking for solutions that would allow Cuban émigrés to invest in Cuba. • On 23 January 2014, the Brookings Institution put forward a series of proposals to the Obama Administration, including, in particular, direct assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises in Cuba, expanding general permits for travel to Cuba, increasing the number of products that may be exported to Cuba, eliminating the ceilings on the amount that Cuban Americans can send to Cuba in the form of remittances or gifts, and removing Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.
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• On 5 February 2014, the digital daily Creative Loafing Tampa published that Nan Rich, a candidate for the governorship of Florida had criticized the United States’ hostile policy towards Cuba and had opted for an end to the embargo. The article mentioned steps being taken by some members of Congress in that direction, notably former Senator Bob Graham (Democrat-Florida) and U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (Democrat-Florida). • On 9 February 2014, Charlie Crist, a former Governor of Florida and a candidate for re-election to that same post in 2014, talking on an HBO television programme, came out in favour of a change in policy towards Cuba and an end to the embargo, and mentioned the economic benefits that would accrue to the inhabitants of Florida from being able to invest in Cuba. • On 11 February 2014, Atlantic Council, an academic institution, published the findings of a survey on U.S. policy against Cuba. They showed 56 per cent of U.S. citizens favouring a change in policy and 61 per cent supporting the removing of Cuba from the list of terrorist states. Those surveyed also backed other changes, such as: lifting the restrictions on U.S. citizens’ travel to Cuba and authorizing U.S. investments in Cuba (6 out of every 10 surveyed) and the use in Cuba of U.S.-made telecommunication technologies (52 per cent of those surveyed). • On 13 February 2014, an editorial in The Sun Sentinel called for the embargo to be lifted. Among the reasons cited were the benefits that would accrue to both countries in commerce, improved coordination during meteorological emergencies, and shared environmental concerns, particularly those relating to Cuban plans to explore for oil in deep waters near the U.S. coast. • In March it transpired that U.S. Representatives Ted Poe (Republican — Texas) and Rick Crawford (Republican — Arkansas) had written a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary, Jack Lew (copied to President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry), urging the U.S. Government to evaluate the possibility of potentially stepping up agricultural trade relations with Cuba and specifying that U.S. farmers and the agrifood industry would benefit from making OFAC’s current regulations more flexible. • On 16 February 2014, the Los Angeles Times published an editorial calling for the embargo against Cuba to be lifted, as it had failed to achieve its principal objective. The editorial cites the findings of the Atlantic Council survey and says it agrees that relations between the two countries should be thawed. • On 27 February 2014, the President of the Church World Service, Reverend John L. McCullough, and the President of the Cuban Council of Churches, Reverend Joel Ortega Dopico, published a joint letter in The Hill acknowledging the cooperation between the two institutions for more than 20 years and urging the U.S. Government to lift the restrictions on American citizens’ travel to Cuba; exclude our country from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism; open up trade in support of the small enterprises and cooperatives emerging in Cuba; and establish a high-level dialogue aimed at normalizing bilateral relations and discussing differences, in a framework of respect for the dignity of both nations. • On 15 March 2014, a Conference billed as a “Conversation among Cubans” took place in Miami, with the participation of representatives of the Foundation for the Normalization of US-Cuba Relations (ForNorm), Cuban
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Americans for Engagement (CAFE), the Cuba Study Group, Puentes Cubanos, and other organizations, such as Cuba Educational Travel and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), in which calls were made for the lifting of the embargo and the removal of Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. • On 18 March 2014, U.S. Representative James McGovern (Democrat- Massachusetts) declared in Havana that the Finca Vigía conservation project could serve as a model for collaboration between Cuba and the United States on a wide range of issues. He said he disagreed with U.S. policy towards Cuba and described the ban on U.S. citizen’s travel to the island as unjust and mistaken. He suggested that the embargo had failed and should be lifted. • On 19 April 2014, the Las Américas daily published an interview with the former governor of Florida and current candidate for the same office, Charlie Crist, who reiterated his position in favour of changes to the United States’ policy towards Cuba and described the embargo as a “failed policy”. • On 28 April 2014, it was announced that the Cuba Now Political Action Committee had been established. Its mission, according to its website, is full normalization of United States Cuba relations. It proposes freedom of travel to Cuba; “free and open” trade and investment between the two countries; normal cooperation and assistance between United States and Cuban institutions for “development, educational, environmental, humanitarian, medical, or scientific purposes”; support for a constructive diplomatic dialogue based on mutual respect with the government of Cuba on issues of mutual concern; the repeal of the Torricelli and Helms Burton Acts; and the removal of Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. The Executive Director is Ricardo Herrero, former Deputy Executive Director of the Cuba Study Group. • On 29 April 2014, Press TV published an article citing a member of the Atlantic Council reiterating that 56 per cent of U.S. citizens supported normalizing bilateral relations. He added that the international isolation of Cuba had not been achieved. The article also cited statements by Teresa Gutierrez, National Coordinator of International Action Center (IAC) Latin American and Caribbean and Projects, who considered that the sanctions had not been effective due to the Cuban people’s support of the Government of the island. • On 30 April 2014, the American Association for the Advancement of Science published an article on its website about its recent visit to Cuba. It described the programme in a positive light and included opinions by the President of the Association saying that the trip had ha a renovating effect on scientific relations between the two countries. • On 2 May 2014, the Illinois Cuba Working Group sent a letter to President Obama urging him to lift the financial and travel restrictions on Cuba, which would benefit the State of Illinois by creating more jobs and exports, especially of agrifood products. • On 3 May 2014, the Miami Herald published an article by Senator and former Governor of Florida, Bob Graham, and the former Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, William Reilly, Co-chairs of President Obama’s National Commission on the 2010 BP Oil Spill and the
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Future of Offshore Drilling. In their article, they propose modifying the U.S. sanction that bans Cuba and its contractors from acquiring advanced technology with more than 10 per cent U.S. content. In addition, they urge the President to issue general licenses for travel and export so that companies in the oil service and spill response industry can position proper equipment in advance. • On 5 May 2014, the Foundation for Normalization of United States-Cuba Relations sent a letter to the Secretary of State, John Kerry, criticising the unwarranted inclusion of Cuba on the list of terrorist countries and urging President Obama to take it off the list. • Also on 5 May, the Peterson Institute for International Economics published a book entitled “Economic Normalization with Cuba: A Roadmap for US Policymakers”, on the necessity of the United States Government lifting the sanctions imposed on Cuba. The publication addresses the lost opportunities of doing business with Cuba that the United States loses to other international players, due to the embargo. • On 7 May 2014, 16 United States religious leaders sent a letter to President Obama urging him to initiate a high-level dialogue between the United States and Cuba, to address a broad range of issues; to issue a general license authorizing people-to-people travel in all categories; to remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism; to create opportunities for United States citizens to support the “emerging” sector of cooperatives and small enterprises in Cuba, allowing U.S. citizens to buy, sell and lend technical assistance to, or invest in, small enterprises and cooperatives. They also described operations like ZunZuneo as “ineffective” and “senseless”. • On 7 May 2014, in an interview with Andrea Mitchell of NBC News, U.S. Representative Barbara Lee (Democrat-California) criticized the embargo, the destabilizing programmes conducted by the United States Agency for International Development and the ban on travel to Cuba. • On 19 May, a group of 46 former government officials, military retirees, academics and influential businessmen, including Cuban Americans, issued an open letter to President Obama recommending that he ease the embargo and U.S. policy towards Cuba; expand licensed trips to Cuba to all U.S. citizens; engage in serious discussions with Cuban counterparts in areas of mutual concern regarding humanitarian and national security matters (migration, drug interdiction and the environment); and take steps to enable financial institutions to provide services in support of all licensed activities. • On 29 May, 2014, Mr. Thomas Donohue, President of the United States Chamber of Commerce said, in a speech delivered in the main amphitheatre of the University of Havana, that the time had come to open a new chapter in Cuba-U.S. relations and he suggested that his Government should allow travel to increase and expand diplomacy between the two countries. He added that the purpose of his visit to Cuba had been to understand and evaluate the seriousness of the changes in Cuban economic policy and to consider how the United States private sector could support them. He assured his audience that on his return to the United States he would relay his experiences in Cuba to political leaders and U.S. citizens and would make recommendations to his Government regarding what to do with respect to its policy towards Cuba.
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Donohue visited Cuba from 27-29 May 2014, heading a delegation comprising Steve Van Andel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce and of the Amway company; Marcel Smits, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cargill Corporation; and other executives and officials of the United States Chamber of Commerce. During its stay in Cuba, the delegation visited site of interest relating to the current updating of the Cuban economic model. • On 5 June, several news agencies echoed parts of former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton’s book, “Hard Choices”. Regarding the blockade, Clinton points out that towards the end of her term in the State Department she had urged President Obama to “reconsider the embargo against Cuba”. • On 6 June, the journal Science published an op-ed by the heads of the American Association for the Advancement of Science stating that the Government of the United States could make a relatively simple change to the regulations against Cuba to facilitate scientific cooperation. It pointed out that the lack of cooperation in the public health sphere was particularly worrying. It said that closer joint work would enable scientists from both countries to share information better; identify and monitor outbreaks of infectious diseases; and develop more coherent responses. It stated that that topic was of national interest to both countries. It pointed out that the current general license permitting scientists to travel to Cuba for research could be expanded to allow the joint organization of scientific workshops and meetings. • On 12 June, former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, mentioned during a presentation in the History Makers series on the HBO channel, that lifting the embargo would help U.S. relations with Latin America. She stated that “we should advocate an end to the embargo” and promote the normalization of relations to see what Cuba does. She suggested that it was important to change the mind-set on this matter and described the United States’ relationship with the Western Hemisphere as its most important commitment over the long term. • On 17 June, Florida International University published the findings of a survey of Cuban residents in Miami-Dade County, which revealed that 71 per cent considered that the embargo had not worked; 52 per cent opposed its continuation; 82 per cent were in favour of U.S. companies selling medicine to Cuba; 77 per cent favoured U.S. companies selling food to our country; and 48 per cent considered that current trade rules (limited sale of food and medicine to Cuba) should be eased. Sixty-eight per cent of Cuban residents in Miami-Dade favour the restoration of diplomatic ties with Cuba; 69 per cent support lifting the restrictions on U.S. citizens’ travel to Cuba; and 71 per cent favour maintaining people-to-people exchanges. • On 17 June, Facundo Bacardí, President of the Bacardí company and one of the leading members of the family, said in an interview with the Cigar Aficionado magazine that the family was divided on the issue of the embargo against Cuba and that so long as reforms continued it was the Cuban people that would benefit most. He said that Cuba was doing things its way. • On 29 June 2014, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, described a trip to Cuba on his personal blog. He wrote: “The embargo now codified in the 1996 Helms Burton act defines everything for the US and Cuba ... Travel to the country is
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controlled by an US office called OFAC and under our license we were not permitted to do anything except business meetings where our hotel room had to be less than $100 per night … These policies defy reason: there are dozens of countries we call our allies and we are free to travel to that present much worse threats and concerns to the US than Cuba does in this decade … The ‘blockade’ makes absolutely no sense to US interests …” In his trip to Cuba, Schmidt was accompanied by Google executives Jared Cohen, Brett Perlmutter and Dan Keyserling. He visited a number of sites of interest, including Havana’s University of Information Sciences.
4.2. Opposition by the international community
Internationally, opposition to the embargo is almost universal, with more and more scenarios arising in which special communiqués are released and declarations adopted calling for an end to this illegal and cruel policy. Following are a few examples: On 29 October 2013, the United Nations General Assembly, the international community’s most democratic and representative body, reiterated, by an overwhelming majority, its rejection of the embargo with the adoption — by a vote of 188 in favour, 2 against and 3 abstentions — of its resolution 68/8 entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”. A total of 22 delegations, including the representatives of 7 organizations, associations and regional and subregional organizations (namely, the Group of 77 and China, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), CARICOM, the Group of African States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and MERCOSUR) spoke during the general debate on the resolution. Another 14 delegations explained their positions, opposing the embargo, after the adoption of the resolution. A working paper on the Cuba issue and the impact of the embargo on Cuban civil aviation was also presented at the 38th Assembly Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), held in Montreal, Canada, in September 2013. In the same month, in New York, in their ministerial declaration following their annual meeting in the framework of the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the ministers of the Group of 77 and China rejected the application of the embargo against Cuba and the imposition of coercive measures against developing countries. The twenty-third Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Panama on 18 and 19 October 2013 issued a special communiqué on the necessity of ending the economic and financial embargo imposed by the Government of the United States of America against Cuba, including the Helms- Burton Act, in which it once again “strongly rejected the application of laws and measures contrary to international law, such as the Helms-Burton Act, and urged the Government of the United States of America to end application of the Act”. The Ibero-American communiqué asks “the Government of the United States of America to comply with the 22 consecutive resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and to end its economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba”.
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At its thirty-ninth regular meeting, the Latin American Council of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), gathered at its ministerial session in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on 28 November 2013, adopted a declaration on ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba. The declaration states that the United States economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba violates international law and is contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the rules of the international trade system and the free flow of navigation. It also strongly condemns the application of any law or measure that is contrary to international law, such as the Helms-Burton and Torricelli Acts, and urges the Government of the United States of America to put an end to their application. The Fifty-Third Meeting of Ministers of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), held in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic, on 16 December 2013 adopted a ministerial decision opposing the embargo. The summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held in Havana on 28 and 29 January 2014, adopted a special communiqué on the need to put an end to the embargo imposed on the island. The declaration of the Cuba-Mexico Inter-Parliamentary Meeting, held on 21 and 22 February, 2014 condemned the embargo against Cuba. The final declaration of the Sixth Summit of the Association of Caribbean States, held in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico on 29 April 2014 expressed the regional mechanism’s opposition to United States policy against Cuba. The Final Declaration of the Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, hosted by Algeria, on 26-29 May 2014, reiterated the Movement’s historical opposition to the unilateral coercive measures applied against developing countries and underscored, once again, its clear condemnation of the embargo against Cuba. The Final Declaration of the Special Summit of the Group of 77 and China, held on 14 and 15 June 2014 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia reiterated the Group’s rejection of the imposition of unilateral coercive economic measures and its call for the Government of the United States of America to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against our country. The Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on 26 and 27 June 2014, for the Twenty-Third Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU, adopted a resolution calling for the lifting of the United States embargo against the Republic of Cuba.
Conclusions
The acts of the Government of the United States in the period covered by this report confirm that no steps have been taken by that country to put an end to this illegal and unjust policy, which has been in place for over 55 years. On the contrary, it has blatantly contravened the General Assembly’s provisions as numerous actions have been reported that reinforce the embargo
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policy. The current U.S. administration’s rhetoric about greater flexibility in the imposition of sanctions is belied by the facts reported in this document. On the contrary, the Government of the United States has adopted measures designed to strengthen the embargo in the financial and banking sector, as most clearly and dangerously evidenced by the recent fine imposed on the BNP Paribas bank. The economic damage to the Cuban people as a result of the United States economic, commercial and financial embargo, taking into account the depreciation of the dollar against the price of gold on the international market, amounts to US$ 1,112,534,000,000, despite the decline in the value of gold compared to the previous period. At current prices, over all these years, the embargo has inflicted damages worth more than US$ 116,888 million. Much of the damage inflicted cannot be and never will be quantified. The figures do not include, for instance, the damage to the country’s economic and social objectives that has resulted from sabotage and terrorist acts encouraged, organized and financed from the United States. Nor do they reflect the negative impact on the country’s development stemming from the impossibility of accessing new technology in almost all branches of the economy, or the hardship systematically imposed on Cuban families. The economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the Government of the United States against Cuba continues to be the main obstacle to the economic and social development of the country. The embargo violates international law, is contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and constitutes an offence against the right to peace, development and security of a sovereign State. It is, in its essence and its aims, a unilateral act of aggression and an ongoing threat to the stability of the country. The embargo constitutes a massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of an entire people. It furthermore violates the sovereign rights of many other States owing to its extraterritorial nature. Thus, the embargo against Cuba is not a bilateral issue between Cuba and the United States. Despite intense and growing calls from the international community and from U.S. public opinion for the United States Government to change its policy on Cuba, lift the embargo and normalize bilateral relations between both countries, the Government of the United States has not only maintained the embargo policy: it has strengthened it in the financial and banking sphere. In addition to being illegal, the embargo is morally unsustainable. No similar set of unilateral sanctions has ever been imposed against any other country in the world for such an extended period of time. Therefore, the United States must cease invoking pretexts and lift the embargo without delay.
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Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
[Original: English] [16 April 2014] It is the consistent position of the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to oppose all kinds of sanctions, including economic, commercial and financial embargoes on sovereign States. The unilateral and extraterritorial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba constitutes an obvious infringement of the sovereignty of Cuba, in clear violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, undermines freedom of trade and navigation and the most fundamental norms of coexistence and respect among sovereign States, and represents the violation of human rights, denying the people’s right to life and right to development, and thus deserves the strong denunciation of the United Nations and the international community. The United States blockade policy against Cuba, which has persisted for over half a century, has caused serious losses amounting to $1.126 trillion in the economic and social fields of Cuba and has also impacted third countries that have normal economic and trade relations with Cuba, thus remaining the main obstacle to the socioeconomic development of the country and the livelihoods of its peoples. As such, the criminal, inhumane and anachronistic blockade policy of the United States against Cuba should be terminated, without delay, in conformity with the relevant United Nations resolutions and the demands of the international community. Ending the unilateral economic, commercial and financial embargo of the United States against Cuba is the unanimous demand of Member States of the United Nations, including Cuba, which aspire to sustainable development in a peaceful environment. The Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea fully supports the efforts of the Government and people of Cuba to end the United States embargo, and it will continue to expand and develop economic and trade relations with Cuba in the future. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea reiterates its support for and solidarity with the struggles of the Government and people of Cuba to safeguard national dignity and sovereignty against the unilateral blockade by the United States.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
[Original: French] [22 May 2014] The Democratic Republic of the Congo reiterates its position of rejection of any resolution in favour of the embargo. Indeed, the embargo, which for more than 50 years has been an obstacle to socioeconomic development and has had serious consequences for the Cuban people, is contrary to the principles of the Charter and international law, including international humanitarian law.
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Furthermore, the Democratic Republic of the Congo aligns itself with the will of the international community, expressed by the adoption of General Assembly resolution 68/8 by 188 Member States, and supports any new resolution calling for the lifting of the embargo.
Djibouti
[Original: English] [21 May 2014] The Republic of Djibouti wishes to reaffirm its fundamental commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the rules of international law. Further, the Republic of Djibouti has voted in favour of General Assembly resolution 68/8, and thus has not promulgated or applied any laws of the type referred to in the preamble to the above-mentioned resolution and, as such, the necessity of repealing or invalidating any such laws or measures does not arise.
Dominica
[Original: English] [28 May 2014] The Commonwealth of Dominica has neither promulgated nor applied any laws or measures that in any way hinder freedom of trade and navigation with the Republic of Cuba. The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica vehemently opposes the extraterritorial enforcement of national legislation that demonstrates disregard for, and undermines, the sovereignty of other States. Dominica views such actions as contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the customs and the principles of sovereign equality, peaceful coexistence and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States. The Government of Dominica embraces Cuba as a member of the United Nations, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and sister nations in the Caribbean region. The strong historic ties and solidarity in a number of areas of cooperation such as education, health and sports, have created an enduring friendship between our peoples. The Commonwealth of Dominica has consistently voted for past resolutions on this item, and voted unreservedly in favour of General Assembly resolution 68/8. The Commonwealth of Dominica expresses its continued concern at the hardship and human suffering caused by the ongoing unilateral imposition of the embargo against Cuba, despite overwhelming international support for multiple resolutions that have called for an end to this blockade.
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Dominican Republic
[Original: Spanish] [28 May 2014] In various regional and international forums, the Dominican Republic has reiterated that its international relations are governed by the norms and principles of self-determination of peoples and sovereignty of States, which are enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and public international law. Consequently, it does not adopt, advocate or apply any measures involving intervention in the internal affairs of States.
Ecuador
[Original: Spanish] [20 May 2014] The Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the United Nations hereby reports that, in accordance with its standard policy of condemning the decades-long illegal embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba and its people, Ecuador has not promulgated and does not have in force any law or measure that could constitute any form of economic, commercial or financial embargo against Cuba. At the same time, it calls for the immediate and unconditional lifting of all unilateral measures imposed by the United States of America against this Caribbean nation, which are causing it serious economic and social damage and subjecting its people to a large-scale humanitarian crisis. Together with 187 other countries, Ecuador has clearly expressed its condemnation of the unjust embargo sponsored and imposed by the United States of America against Cuba. Given that Cuba is a member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and is a part of the international community, its people should no longer have to suffer the negative consequences of this embargo.
Egypt
[Original: English] [29 May 2014] The Arab Republic of Egypt has voted in favour of General Assembly resolution 68/8, in line with its position that unilateral sanctions imposed outside the United Nations framework are not a course of action that Egypt can condone. The embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba is morally unjustifiable and legally indefensible and runs counter to the norms of international law. The embargo constitutes a clear violation of the principles of multilateralism and is in breach of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and mutual trust. The damages stemming from the embargo in Cuba are enormous. They affect crucial sectors of its economy, as well as the well-being of its people. The embargo also has negative repercussions on companies and citizens from third countries.
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These extraterritorial effects violate the sovereign rights of many Member States. Egypt is deeply concerned by the widening of the extraterritorial nature of the embargo, which is an added argument in favour of the prompt elimination of those unjustified sanctions.
El Salvador
[Original: Spanish] [30 May 2014] The Republic of El Salvador, which is committed to the principles and purposes enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and is fully aware of the need to eliminate the unilateral application of economic and trade measures by one State against another that affect the development of its people and free access to international trade, reaffirms its strong support for calls to end the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba. For El Salvador, the embargo has been and will remain a deplorable unilateral measure in the history of Latin America and the Caribbean that goes against and disrespects the principles of solidarity, cooperation, sovereignty and the right of the fraternal people of Cuba to self-determination in order to choose their own path to development, peace and justice. Therefore, current and future generations should consider the serious historical impact that the implementation of this embargo has had in all fields. Respect for a people’s freedom to determine its own history can never again be disputed. The painful experience that the Cuban people have suffered cannot and must not continue. As members of the international community, we are currently witnessing and bringing about great changes. We are living at a decisive moment, with a new generation of global challenges and opportunities and the establishment of a new paradigm for development, cooperation and solidarity among the peoples of the world, which will be included in the post-2015 development agenda. This agenda does not and cannot tolerate the disregard for fundamental freedoms and principles that is implicit in the harmful economic, commercial and financial embargo against the fraternal Republic of Cuba. El Salvador notes that, despite the long-standing unilateral measure imposed against its people, the Republic of Cuba, with its perseverance and self-determination, has managed to overcome obstacles and adversity in an exemplary manner. For this reason, El Salvador applauds Cuba for the work it has been doing to open and strengthen its economy and to improve its production processes, as well as for the improvements and advances it has made in the fields of medicine and biotechnology. Additionally, we are pleased that the Mariel Special Development Zone will undoubtedly bring unprecedented advances to the Cuban people in terms of social, economic and productive consolidation and cooperation. In this connection, El Salvador commends the fraternal Republic of Cuba on its efforts, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the rules of international law, to withstand the unilaterally imposed embargo for more than
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50 years. Cuba has the respect and support of Latin America and the Caribbean and the international community, which has spoken with one voice and voted in favour of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba. In this regard, El Salvador calls for the immediate lifting of this embargo, not only in observance of international law, but also because, above all else, it represents an immoral act that has inflicted pain and suffering upon the Cuban people. The Republic of El Salvador considers that actions such as the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on the Cuban people seriously undermine all the efforts being made by the international community to promote peace; cooperation; development and social justice; human rights; political, economic and social integration; and unity and solidarity among countries. The Republic of El Salvador recognizes the growing strength and stature of the international community’s call to lift the embargo, and once more joins this call and reiterates the urgent need to end the application of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba.
Equatorial Guinea
[Original: Spanish] [27 May 2014] It was Mother Nature that delineated the shared maritime boundary that human morality regards as the first indelible sign of brotherhood between the United States of America and Cuba — a natural destiny sealed by a will higher than that of humanity. Accordingly, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, in line with the principles of its Constitution and its commitment to defend and preserve the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, once again reiterates its concern at the continuation of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba. The Republic of Equatorial Guinea regrets that ordinary Cubans remain mired in the negative consequences of this embargo. For this reason, we call upon the Government and people of the United States of America to consider the position of other international actors, which are overwhelmingly against this embargo. The Republic of Equatorial Guinea takes this opportunity to point out to all United Nations Members and observers and other international actors that when a problem drags on for more than half a century, it begins to cast doubt on our effectiveness in mediating differences between States. Therefore, we invite the international community to redouble its efforts to ensure that these two countries undertake a constructive dialogue in order to improve their relations in all areas. In conclusion, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea is anxious to see this difficult situation between the United States of America and Cuba brought to an end, and renews its firm and unconditional support for resolution 68/8.
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Eritrea
[Original: English] [13 May 2014]
The Government of the State of Eritrea has not promulgated or applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in General Assembly resolution 68/8. Eritrea is strongly opposed to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, which is inconsistent with the principles of international law and undermines the efforts of Cuba and its people in the achievement of all the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. Eritrea joins other States in calling for the immediate repeal or invalidation of such laws and measures that are having adverse effects on the Cuban people and on Cuban nationals living in other countries.
Ethiopia
[Original: English] [4 June 2014] The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia views the continued imposition of an economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba as a violation of the principle of the sovereign equality of States and of non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs. In addition, the embargo has caused material losses and economic damage to the people of Cuba. The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia therefore wishes to see the embargo lifted in order for the people and Government of Cuba to enjoy their sovereignty, in accordance with the principles and values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia believes that constructive dialogue is necessary to foster mutual trust and understanding among the nations of the world.
European Union
[Original: English] [19 May 2014] The European Union believes that the United States’ trade policy towards Cuba is fundamentally a bilateral issue. Notwithstanding, the European Union and its member States have been clearly expressing their opposition to the extraterritorial extension of the United States’ embargo, such as that contained in the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 and the Helms-Burton Act of 1996. One should underline the fact that, in November 1996, the Council of Ministers of the European Union adopted a regulation and a joint action to protect the interest of natural or legal persons resident in the European Union against the
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extraterritorial effects of the Helms-Burton legislation, which prohibits compliance with that legislation. Moreover, on 18 May 1998, at the European Union/United States summit in London, a package was agreed covering waivers to titles III and IV of the Helms-Burton Act; a commitment by the United States administration to resist future extraterritorial legislation of that kind; and an understanding with respect to disciplines for the strengthening of investment protection. The European Union continues to urge the United States to implement its side of the Understanding of 18 May 1998.
Fiji
[Original: English] [15 May 2014] The Government of Fiji reaffirms its support for resolution 68/8. Fiji reiterates its position that all States should refrain from imposing economic sanctions of the nature referred to in the resolution, in conformity with their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations. Fiji has not taken any measures that might impair economic, commercial or financial relations between Cuba and Fiji. On the contrary, Fiji is intent on developing cooperative relations with all countries and in this regard fully supports the call for the lifting of the embargo against Cuba.
Gabon
[Original: French] [16 May 2014] Gabon voted in favour of resolution 68/8. It did so in accordance with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and pursuant to the purposes and principles of that instrument, which are based on cooperation among States, and constantly strives to promote friendly relations and non-intervention in the internal affairs of States. Gabon remains concerned about the measures aimed at strengthening and extending the embargo against Cuba and about the adverse effects of such measures on the Cuban people and on Cuban nationals living in other countries. Gabon urges all parties to respect and implement United Nations resolutions echoing the collective call for the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, thus allowing Cuba to participate in and benefit from international trade. Gabon also calls on the international community to continue its efforts to ensure that Cuba and the United States of America engage in constructive dialogue in order to establish relations between the two States
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Gambia
[Original: English] [23 May 2014] The Government of the Gambia has neither promulgated nor applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in General Assembly resolution 68/8. Accordingly, the Gambia is opposed to the continued enactment or application of such laws, acts or measures against Cuba that impede the free flow of international trade and navigation. The embargo against Cuba contravenes the fundamental principles of international law, international humanitarian law, the Charter of the United Nations and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States, violating the sovereign equality of States and of non-intervention and non-interference in the domestic affairs of other Member States. The embargo has no legitimate or moral justifications, given the fact that it continues to undermine the essential rights to economic emancipation and to development of the Cuban people; it must come to an immediate end. As a responsible member of the international community, the Gambia therefore joins other Member States in calling for the immediate repeal or invalidation of such laws, measures or policies that impede the free flow of international trade and navigation, as they are contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. It is our fervent desire that the relevant United Nations resolutions echoing collective concerns on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba will be respected and implemented without further delays.
Georgia
[Original: English] [23 June 2014] Georgia reaffirms its support for resolution 68/8. Georgia has not promulgated or applied laws or taken measures against Cuba that would prohibit or restrict economic, commercial or financial relations between Cuba and Georgia.
Ghana
[Original: English] [29 May 2014] The Republic of Ghana wishes to reaffirm its solidarity with the Government and people of Cuba in calling for an immediate end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America over the past 50 years. Ghana’s position is in keeping with her firm conviction that the unilateral embargo by the United States against Cuba is contrary to the obligations enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Ghana, in compliance with General Assembly resolution 68/8 and other relevant resolutions, has refrained from the promulgation and application of any
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legislation or instituted any measures that would adversely affect the economic, political and social interests of Cuba. Through the resolutions adopted annually by the General Assembly, the international community has remained steadfast in the call for the immediate termination of the embargo to enable Cuba to freely engage other Member States of the United Nations in business and economic relations, so as to improve the well-being of its people. The morally unacceptable embargo against Cuba is clearly in contravention of two cardinal principles of international law which are the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of States by other Member States of the United Nations and the fundamental right of all nations, as sovereign equals, to define their own strategies for social and economic development. On the premise of Ghana’s own principled stance on the right to independence by other Member States of the United Nations, the Government is resolute in its commitment to these principles and will continue to support global efforts to end this unjustified unilateral action against a credible member of the community of nations. Notwithstanding the economic, financial and commercial embargo, Cuba has maintained cordial and indeed mutually beneficial relations with several African countries, including Ghana. Ghana’s relations with Cuba have over time been strengthened through important technical and scientific cooperation programmes in the areas of health, education and agriculture, which have contributed immensely to national development efforts. Consistently, international challenges and developments have reaffirmed the significance of cooperation, multilateralism, interdependence and diversity in all global endeavours. All States therefore need to be mindful of the importance of every nation, irrespective of its size and might, to ensure that relations between and among States, within the community of nations are founded on mutual respect and dignity. The international community must continue its efforts to bring an end to the suffering of the people of Cuba, as they also deserve to enjoy the benefits of their hard work and commitment to social justice. Ghana therefore joins other international entities in reiterating the call on the United States of America to lift the embargo against Cuba to enable the country to take advantage of opportunities in global economic relations for the benefit of its people.
Grenada
[Original: English] [23 May 2014] Grenada respects the sovereign right of all States to trade and navigate freely. Our country continues to comply strictly with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, which is reaffirmed in international law, by neither promulgating nor applying any laws that contravene those freedoms. Grenada cannot, therefore, condone the actions of any State that seeks to create and enforce such laws for its own political and economic benefit. Grenada and Cuba have enjoyed close fraternal relations for over 35 years. As such, the economic, financial and commercial embargo by the United States of
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America against this country causes us great discomfort because of its enormous costs to the Cuban people. The recent fines meted out by the United States authorities to several companies for transactions that allegedly violate the embargo clearly suggest that the harsh measures against Cuba continue firmly in place. Evidently, they are closely monitored and rigorously enforced. Grenada respects and certainly applauds Cuba, which, although having to endure over 50 years of severe hardship and painful challenges caused by the embargo, has refrained from implementing retaliatory measures against the people of the United States. Cuba has stood in solidarity with developing countries, including Grenada, offering concrete and far-reaching assistance, despite its own economic constraints. Grenada joins the clarion call of the overwhelming majority of nations to support resolution 68/8 for an immediate end to the economic, financial and commercial embargo imposed by the United States of America against the Republic of Cuba. The Cuban people certainly deserve the opportunity, as do all other countries, to develop their society as they see fit.
Guatemala
[Original: Spanish] [30 May 2014] The Republic of Guatemala, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 68/8, wishes to report that the State of Guatemala has neither promulgated nor applied laws or measures of any kind that run counter to the principles and purposes enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, or to the freedom of international trade and navigation. Therefore, Guatemala is able to state that there are no legal or regulatory impediments to free transit or trade between Guatemala and Cuba. For all these reasons, Guatemala rejects any unilateral measure that contravenes the principles of free trade and international law and urges those countries that have and continue to apply such domestic legislation to take the steps necessary to repeal or invalidate it.
Guinea
[Original: French] [13 June 2014] The Government of the Republic of Guinea remains concerned about the continuation of the economic, commercial and financial embargo that has been imposed against the Cuban people for decades. Faithful to its international commitments, Guinea solemnly reaffirms its belief in the principles of equality, State sovereignty and non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States and calls for the immediate and unconditional lifting of this unjust embargo, which has caused the Cuban people such suffering.
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Consequently, the Republic of Guinea will vote in favour of any resolution that reaffirms the necessity of ending this embargo.
Guinea-Bissau
[Original: French] [2 June 2014] Guinea-Bissau reaffirms that discriminatory trade practices and the extraterritorial application of national laws are contrary to the need to promote dialogue and to uphold the principles and objectives set forth in the Charter of the United Nations. The Government of Guinea-Bissau has neither voted for any resolutions against Cuba nor taken any domestic measures to implement sanctions, which are unilateral and contrary to the norms of international law on freedom of trade and navigation. Guinea-Bissau also regrets that this embargo, which has been in place for more than 54 years, is still causing severe economic, financial, health and other forms of harm to the Cuban people. Despite the successive resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in recent years, in which a vast majority of Member States have voted in favour of lifting the embargo, there have been no signs of flexibility on the part of the United States of America in its continued policy regarding the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba. The Republic of Guinea-Bissau recognizes the importance that the Secretary- General of the United Nations attaches to the issue and calls for strict compliance with the resolution. It also calls on the international community to continue its efforts to ensure that Cuba and the United States of America engage in constructive dialogue in order to establish relations between the two States.
Guyana
[Original: English] [7 May 2014] The Government of Guyana has consistently demonstrated its unwavering respect for and adherence to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including those mentioned in General Assembly resolution 68/8. To this end, Guyana has not enacted any legislation or adopted any policies or practices, the extraterritorial effects of which affect the sovereignty of other States. Guyana has also, as a matter of principle, maintained a consistent position of firm opposition to the economic, financial and commercial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, and reiterates the call for an end to this policy. Guyana encourages the process of dialogue between the United States of America and Cuba.
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The Government of Guyana is in full compliance with and remains fully supportive of General Assembly resolution 68/8.
Haiti
[Original: French] [17 April 2014] The Republic of Haiti has always refrained from promulgating and applying laws and measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to that resolution, as required by the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
Holy See
[Original: English] [23 April 2014] The Holy See has never drawn up or applied economic, commercial or financial laws or measures against Cuba.
Honduras
[Original: Spanish] [8 May 2014] In fulfilment of its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law, the Government of Honduras has not promulgated or applied any unilateral economic and commercial laws or measures against other States that might affect the free flow of international trade.
India
[Original: English] [29 May 2014] India has not promulgated or applied any laws of the type referred to in the preamble to the above-mentioned resolution and, as such, the necessity of repealing or invalidating any such laws or measures does not arise. India has consistently opposed any unilateral measure by countries that impinges on the sovereignty of another country. These include any attempt to extend the application of a country’s laws extraterritorially to other sovereign nations. India recalls the final documents adopted by the sixteenth Summit Conference of Heads of State or Government of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries held in Tehran from 26 to 31 August 2012 on this subject, as well as other high-level decisions of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, and urges the international community to adopt all necessary measures to protect the sovereign rights of all countries.
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Indonesia
[Original: English] [19 May 2014] The economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba has caused significant economic and social hardship for the people of Cuba, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, women and older persons. The continued imposition of an economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba violates the principles of the sovereign equality of States and of non-intervention and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs, international humanitarian law, the Charter of the United Nations and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States. Indonesia urges States that have applied laws or measures of an extraterritorial nature that affect the sovereignty of other States, the lawful interests of their subjects or of other persons under their jurisdiction, and freedom of trade and navigation to renounce such action. Indonesia continues to support this resolution and reiterates the call for the immediate cessation of such an embargo.
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
[Original: English] [7 May 2014] The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that the continued promulgation of the economic, commercial and financial sanctions against Cuba, despite the annual adoption of the General Assembly resolution calling for the lifting of, and putting an end to, the embargo against Cuba by the Government of the United States of America is a matter of serious disappointment. It is the firm belief of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran that the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba runs counter to the principles of international law governing relations among States and contradicts the letter and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, which calls for the promotion of solidarity, cooperation and friendly relations among nations, and the resolution of differences and problems among countries through peaceful means and dialogue, on the basis of equality and mutual respect for the sovereignty of Member States. The embargo continues to constrain the efforts of the Cuban Government and people to eradicate poverty and hunger and to promote health and education, which are indispensable means for the achievement of economic and social development and continue to adversely affect the living conditions and human rights of the Cuban people and hamper the efforts of the Government of Cuba to achieve internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. The embargo, which has lasted for decades, has seriously jeopardized the legitimate rights and interests of Cuba and other States, as well as freedom of trade and navigation, and serves no purpose other than that of inflicting tremendous hardship and suffering on the people of Cuba, especially women and children, and
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therefore has to be immediately lifted, as requested by the General Assembly in all relevant resolutions. Furthermore, since the international community faces major challenges, such as the consequences of the global financial and economic crisis, as well as food crises and thus increased poverty, unemployment and malnutrition, the imposition of the embargo seems unjustifiable more than ever and deserves stronger objections at the international level. Additionally, the adoption of General Assembly resolutions for so many years, with such a wide range of support, indicates the strong objection of the international community to unilateral economic coercive measures in general, and the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba in particular. It is also a sign of increasing sympathy with the Government of Cuba and its people to put an end to this unlawful and inhumane embargo. The Islamic Republic of Iran also recalls the final document of the summit of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, held in Tehran from 26 to 31 August 2012, where the Heads of State or Government of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries reiterated their call to the Government of the United States of America to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba, which, in addition to being unilateral and contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and international law, and to the principle of neighbourliness, is causing huge material losses and economic damage to the people of Cuba. They once again urged strict compliance with General Assembly resolutions. Furthermore, the Heads of State or Government of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries expressed their deep concern over the widening of the extraterritorial nature of the embargo against Cuba and rejected the reinforcement of the measures adopted by the Government of the United States aimed at tightening the embargo, as well as all other recent measures carried out by the Government of the United States against the people of Cuba. They reiterated that those measures constitute a violation of Cuba’s sovereignty and a massive violation of the human rights of its people. Acknowledging that sanctions are contrary to the principles of international law, the sovereign equality of States, non-interference in the internal affairs of States and peaceful coexistence among States, the Islamic Republic of Iran remains opposed to the application of unilateral economic and trade measures by the United States of America against other countries, and to the extraterritorial application and effects of such national legislations on the sovereignty of other States, including the recent initiative of the Government of the United States, namely, the United States Agency for International Development project “ZunZuneo”, which aimed at undermining the Government of Cuba. The Islamic Republic of Iran, which has also been experiencing economic coercive measures, shares the concern of the Government and people of Cuba, and therefore emphasizes the urgent need to put an end to such measures and fully implement the content of General Assembly resolution 68/8.
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Jamaica
[Original: English] [2 June 2014] The Government of Jamaica remains opposed to the unilateral application of economic and trade measures by one State against another that would obstruct the freedom of commercial activity, trade and economic cooperation. To this end and in keeping with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law, the Government of Jamaica has not promulgated any legislation or measures that would infringe on the sovereignty of a State or its lawful national interests. In support of this position, in October 2013 the House of Representatives of Jamaica approved a resolution supporting the removal of the embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, noting that it affects the free flow of trade not only in the region, but also in the hemisphere. The Government of Jamaica therefore reiterates its support for General Assembly resolution 68/8, calling for an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba, and urges all States that continue to apply such laws and measures to take the necessary steps to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible.
Japan
[Original: English] [22 May 2014] The Government of Japan has not promulgated or applied laws or measures of the kind referred to in paragraph 2 of resolution 68/8. The Government of Japan believes that the economic policy of the United States towards Cuba should be considered primarily as a bilateral issue. However, Japan shares the concern, arising from the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996 (known as the Helms-Burton Act) and the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, that, if the application of such legislation causes undue hardship in relation to the economic activities of the enterprises or nationals of a third party, the legislation is likely to run counter to international law regarding the extraterritorial application of domestic laws. The Government of Japan has been closely following the situation in relation to the above-mentioned legislation and the surrounding circumstances, and its concern remains unchanged. Having considered the matter with the utmost care, Japan voted in favour of resolution 68/8.
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Jordan
[Original: English] [30 June 2014] The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has not applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in resolution 68/8. The Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has consistently voted in favour of the above-mentioned resolution and reaffirms its commitment to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.
Kazakhstan
[Original: English] [27 May 2014] In its foreign policy, Kazakhstan is guided by the principles of international law and stands for the rights of nations to develop according to their own way of development. Kazakhstan strongly condemns any unilateral acts that affect the sovereignty of another State. Kazakhstan has never accepted any national regulations that infringe, impede or slow the development of foreign countries, including in their economic, commercial and financial spheres. In this regard, Kazakhstan, like the overwhelming majority of the international community, calls for lifting the embargo against Cuba and the cessation of all acts that are contrary to the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
Kenya
[Original: English] [2 June 2014] The Government of Kenya reaffirms its objection to the unilateral coercive measures that are at variance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Kenya has never unilaterally promulgated or applied laws or measures of any kind that have extraterritorial effects affecting the sovereignty of other States. The majority of the Member States of the United Nations and other organizations have called for an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba. Kenya believes in and upholds the principles of maintaining friendly relations, including commerce among nations for the promotion of peace and security as indispensable ingredients for the social and economic advancement of all people. Kenya will continue to oppose the blockade against Cuba, which has negatively affected the citizens of Cuba and, in line with the position of the African
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Union, calls for the immediate lifting of the longstanding and unjustifiable economic and trade embargo imposed on Cuba, so as to allow that country to enjoy all the legitimate prospects for its sustained development.
Kiribati
[Original: English] [23 April 2014] The resolution holds moral and humanitarian considerations that, when adopted, will contribute positively to improving the general welfare and well-being of the people of Cuba.
Kuwait
[Original: English] [14 April 2014] The State of Kuwait supports the implementation of the aforementioned resolution with an emphasis on the need to comply with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the sovereign equality of States and non-interference in their internal affairs, as well as freedom of international trade and navigation. Furthermore, the State of Kuwait has always voted in favour of General Assembly resolutions calling for the lifting of the United States of America embargo imposed on Cuba.
Kyrgyzstan
[Original: Russian] [6 May 2014] The Kyrgyz Republic, in its foreign policy, firmly follows the fundamental principles of international law, including the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, and advocates for respect for the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and shipping.
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
[Original: English] [16 May 2014] It is unfortunate that the embargo imposed over past years by the United States of America against Cuba, an independent and sovereign country, continues in effect. The embargo, with its extraterritorial implications, has not only hindered the progress of Cuba in its socioeconomic development and caused untold suffering to its people, it has also violated the principles of international law and of the sovereign equality of States and freedom of international trade and navigation. As far as the Lao People’s
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Democratic Republic is concerned, in adhering to and complying with all the principles and purposes enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and international laws, it has neither promulgated nor introduced any laws or measures of the kind referred to in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of resolution 68/8.
Lebanon
[Original: English] [2 June 2014] The Government of Lebanon fully complies with General Assembly resolution 68/8, concerning the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations and international law.
Lesotho
[Original: English] [30 May 2014] The Kingdom of Lesotho expresses its deep concern at the continuation of the unilateral economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, which is in contravention of the principles of the multilateral trading system, international law and the Charter of the United Nations, in particular, and the principles of the sovereign equality of States and non-intervention in internal affairs. The Kingdom of Lesotho has not promulgated or applied laws or measures against Cuba that would prohibit economic, commercial or financial relations between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of Cuba. Lesotho reiterates its commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, international law and multilateralism, and thus it remains opposed to the economic and commercial embargo imposed against Cuba.
Liberia
[Original: English] [2 July 2014] For several years, over two thirds of the Member States of the United Nations have overwhelmingly voted in favour of lifting the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States. This has represented a rejection by the international community of this situation as well as a demand to end the embargo and to fully adhere to the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of a Member State of the Organization. For its part, Liberia has consistently expressed its concern at the continuation of the economic, commercial and financial embargo due to its unilateral nature, affecting good friendly relations and the economic well-being of the Cuban nation
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and people; abrogating the spirit and intent of the Charter of the United Nations and undermining principles and norms that govern peaceful co-existence of States. The Government of Liberia, therefore, unreservedly supports the ending of the unilateral commercial and trade embargo against Cuba and will continue to collaborate with other Member States of the United Nations towards the achievement of this objective.
Liechtenstein
[Original: English] [10 April 2014] The Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein has not promulgated or applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to resolution 68/8. The Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein is furthermore of the view that legislation whose implementation entails measures or regulations having extraterritorial effects is inconsistent with generally recognized principles of international law.
Madagascar
[Original: French] [24 April 2014] Madagascar has never promulgated or applied economic, commercial or financial laws or measures against the Republic of Cuba and supports measures aimed at ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba.
Malawi
[Original: English] [30 June 2014] The Government of the Republic of Malawi does not have any sanctions or embargo against the Government of Cuba. The Government of Malawi continues to enjoy excellent bilateral relations with the Government of Cuba through a Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation and in other multilateral forums such as the Non-Aligned Movement. The Government of Malawi further wishes to reiterate its denunciation of the unilateral promulgation and application of repressive laws and regulations such as the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, which goes against the Charter of the United Nations which affirms the freedom of trade among nations. In this regard, the Government of Malawi joins the rest of the international community in calling for the lifting of the sanctions imposed on the Government of Cuba. These sanctions only serve to perpetuate the suffering of the ordinary people of Cuba.
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Malaysia
[Original: English] [11 June 2014] The Government of Malaysia voted in favour of General Assembly resolution 68/8. The Government of Malaysia opposes all forms of unilateral economic, commercial and financial sanctions and embargoes that contravene the norms of international law and contradict the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the rule-based multilateral trading system. Such unilateral economic measures may not only restrict free and unfettered business across borders, but they may also hamper social development, such as employment opportunities and the living conditions of the general population. In this regard, the Government of Malaysia fully supports the efforts of the international community, as contained in General Assembly resolution 68/8 and other relevant resolutions that call for an end to the unilateral economic, commerci al and financial embargo imposed on any members of the United Nations.
Maldives
[Original: English] [16 May 2014] The Republic of Maldives does not impose any sanctions against any country without an explicit mandate from the General Assembly or the Security Council of the United Nations, or from those international organizations of which the Maldives is a member. Accordingly, the Republic of Maldives has not imposed any sanctions on Cuba, nor has it enacted any laws or regulations that would contravene the provisions of General Assembly resolution 68/8, of which the Republic of Maldives voted in favour.
Mali
[Original: French] [8 April 2014] The Government of the Republic of Mali has always voted in favour of General Assembly resolutions concerning the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba. The Government of the Republic of Mali, which fully supports resolution 68/8, has not promulgated any laws or applied any measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to that resolution. As in the past, Mali maintains its position that the embargo against Cuba should be lifted.
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Mauritania
[Original: French] [25 June 2014] The Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania disagrees with and is opposed to all aspects of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba. The Islamic Republic of Mauritania remains committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and, in particular, the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of trade and navigation.
Mauritius
[Original: English] [30 May 2014] Mauritius has not promulgated any law or measure aimed at imposing unilateral economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba. Mauritius enjoys excellent bilateral relations with Cuba. With regard to trade relations, although exports to Cuba have been negligible, imports from Cuba experienced an increase of 43 per cent from 2010 to 2013. In 2013, Mauritius imported goods worth MUR 6.9 million from Cuba.
Mexico
[Original: Spanish] [30 May 2014] Mexico reaffirms its traditional position of principle that any type of political, economic or military sanctions imposed on States can only result from a decision or recommendation made by the United Nations Security Council or General Assembly. Multilateralism continues to be the best way of settling disputes and ensuring peaceful coexistence between States. For this reason, the Government of Mexico has repeatedly reiterated its firm rejection of the application of unilateral laws or measures imposing an economic embargo against any State Member of the United Nations, as well as the use of coercive measures that do not have the legitimate backing of the international community based on the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Mexico and Cuba have signed Economic Complementarity Agreement No. 51 under the Montevideo Treaty of 1980, which entered into force in 2001. Under that instrument, Mexico gave preferences to Cuba on 476 tariff items, while Cuba offered preferences to Mexico on 152. This agreement will remain in effect indefinitely. Within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations, on 1 November 2013 the two countries signed protocols to broaden and deepen Agreement No. 51, adding 3,625 tariff items and deepening tariff preferences for another 214.
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The negotiations focused mainly on agro-industrial products, poultry, dairy products, canned goods, chemicals, rum, tobacco, pharmaceuticals and medical instruments and apparatus, among others. Cuba is one of Mexico’s major trading partners in the Caribbean. In 2013, their bilateral trade reached $386 million. Since 1999, prior to the signing of Economic Complementarity Agreement No. 51, trade between the two countries has increased by 67 per cent. On 30 May 2001, Mexico and Cuba signed an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, which was unanimously adopted by the Senate of the Republic on 11 December 2001. The Agreement entered into force on 3 May 2012.
Monaco
[Original: French] [14 July 2014] Pursuant to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, the Principality of Monaco has not promulgated or implemented laws or measures of the kind referred to in resolution 68/8 of the General Assembly.
Mongolia
[Original: English] [22 April 2014] The Government of Mongolia has neither promulgated nor applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to General Assembly resolution 68/8. Mongolia has consistently supported the aforementioned resolution.
Montenegro
[Original: English] [25 April 2014] The Government of Montenegro reaffirms its commitment to the purpose and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and has neither promulgated nor applied laws or measures of the kind referred to in resolution 68/8. The Government of Montenegro is ready to further develop cooperation with Cuba both at the bilateral and multilateral level.
Morocco
[Original: French] [16 April 2014] The Kingdom of Morocco reiterates its firm attachment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the cardinal principles of international law.
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The Kingdom of Morocco has always encouraged the development of friendly relations between United Nations Member States.
Mozambique
[Original: English] [11 April 2014] The Republic of Mozambique has never promulgated, applied or contributed to the application of any of the laws or regulations mentioned in resolution 68/8. In this context, the Republic of Mozambique voted in favour of the aforementioned resolution and reiterated its unconditional support for its provisions, appealing to the United Nations to ensure that all Member States take the resolution into consideration.
Myanmar
[Original: English] [19 May 2014] The Government of Myanmar has consistently opposed any unilateral coercive measures directed at a Member State of the United Nations that violate the Charter of the United Nations and contradict the norms of international law. As a country confronted with similar unilateral sanctions during the past decades, Myanmar fully understands the extent of the hardship and suffering caused by the sanctions, as they negatively impact on third parties, especially vulnerable groups such as women and children. As such, we have a sympathetic view that the embargo imposed on Cuba has caused undue suffering and hardship to the country and its people, preventing the country from fully developing its economic potential. Against this backdrop, Myanmar joins with the rest of the General Assembly in its call to end the decades-long embargo imposed on the Government and people of Cuba through the trade and financial embargo. As an advocate for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Myanmar recognizes the sovereign equality of States, and therefore fully supports General Assembly resolution 68/8, calling for an immediate end to the embargo against Cuba.
Namibia
[Original: English] [27 May 2014] Namibia strongly supports General Assembly resolution 68/8, and calls for the immediate and unconditional lifting of the embargo against the Republic of Cuba, in conformity with the obligations under the Charter of the United Nations. Every year Namibia has supported, and will continue to support, in the General Assembly the lifting of the embargo against the people of Cuba. Namibia has not promulgated or applied any laws or measure to support such embargo.
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The Government of the Republic of Namibia upholds the principle of peaceful coexistence of nations, respects the sovereign equality of States and believes in fair and open trade among nations. Since the attainment of her independence, Namibia has taken steps to strengthen trade relations with Cuba. Equally, Cuba continues to provide expertise to Namibia in the fields of health, agriculture, aquaculture and education. Since the beginning of 2014, the following high-level visits, among others, further cemented the excellent relations between Namibia and Cuba: • The Namibian Prime Minister, Right Hon. Hage Geingob, paid an official visit to Cuba in March 2014, in which he emphasized historic cooperation and the need to further strengthen economic cooperation. • The Namibian Minister of Education, David Namwandi, participated in the International Congress of Higher Education, “Universidad 2014”, and held numerous interviews with his Cuban counterpart and other personalities. • The First Vice-President of the Council of State and Ministers of Cuba, H.E. Miguel Díaz Canuel Bermúdez, paid an official visit to Namibia in May 2014.
Nauru
[Original: English] [2 June 2014] The Government of Nauru reiterates its objection to unilateral coercive measures that are at variance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Furthermore, Nauru has not promulgated or applied laws or measures against Cuba that would prohibit economic, commercial or financial relations between the Republic of Nauru and the Republic of Cuba. The Government of Nauru is committed to the decisions of General Assembly resolution 68/8 of 29 October 2013.
Nepal
[Original: English] [16 May 2014] The Government of Nepal has firmly adhered to the provisions of General Assembly resolution 68/8 and has not promulgated or applied any laws or measures contrary to the resolution.
New Zealand
[Original: English] [30 May 2014] The Government of New Zealand reaffirms its position in support of General Assembly resolution 68/8. The Government of New Zealand has consistently
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supported General Assembly resolutions calling for an end to the trade embargo against Cuba. New Zealand has no trade or economic legislation or measures that restrict or discourage trade or investment to or from Cuba.
Nicaragua
[Original: Spanish] [15 May 2014] Nicaragua reiterates its steadfast and unwavering respect for the sovereign equality of States, the principles of non-intervention and non-interference in internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation, as set forth in various international instruments, and other principles essential to peace and international coexistence. It also reiterates the right of every State to choose its own social, political and economic system free from outside interference. Nicaragua once again expresses its unconditional solidarity with the Government and people of Cuba and states that it has not promulgated, nor will it promulgate, any laws affecting the economic, commercial and financial rights of the fraternal people and Government of Cuba and that it has not applied, nor will it apply, any measures that might impose restrictions on trade or any other type of relations with Cuba. Rather, since the adoption of this resolution, the Government of Nicaragua has strengthened and will continue to strengthen its political, economic and commercial relations and its ties of complementarity, solidarity and development cooperation with the people and Government of Cuba at the bilateral level and through the various existing integration and cooperation mechanisms in the Latin American and Caribbean region, in particular the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples’ Trade Agreement, Petrocaribe and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). In April 2014, the Parliament of Nicaragua adopted, by an overwhelming majority of votes, an agreement that will allow for even further strengthening of trade relations between Cuba and Nicaragua. This agreement provides for broader tariff preferences, treatment of internal taxation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, trade cooperation and issues related to tourism, all for the benefit of the fraternal peoples and Governments of the Republic of Cuba and the Republic of Nicaragua. Nicaragua reiterates its emphatic rejection and condemnation of the continuance and tightening of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba by the United States of America, as well as the application of all coercive measures that have extraterritorial effect. These actions not only fail to contribute to the requisite climate of dialogue and cooperation which should prevail in international relations between sovereign States, but also constitute the principal obstacle to the development of this fraternal country and its attempts to maintain its major economic and social achievements. The response of our Cuban brothers to the consequences of this cruel embargo has been to show solidarity and internationalism by sending more doctors and educators, providing more cooperation in solidarity and increasing fair trade, to contribute to the full development of all the peoples of the world.
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Year by year the people and Government of Cuba have substantially increased their unconditional assistance to and solidarity with the Nicaraguan people in all areas. The Government of Nicaragua once again calls on the Government of the United States of America to comply with the 21 resolutions adopted by the General Assembly that express the views of the immense majority of the international community, which demands an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against the heroic people and Government of the fraternal Republic of Cuba.
Niger
[Original: French] [26 May 2014] The Government of the Republic of the Niger is deeply committed to respecting the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non-interference in internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation, as established in the Charter of the United Nations and in international law, and has not taken any measure that conflicts with the resolution. On the contrary, the Republic of the Niger and the Republic of Cuba have maintained good cooperative relations since the signing, in 1994, of a general agreement on cooperation between the two countries. Since then, the scope of this cooperation and the activities covered by it have evolved and expanded. The two countries regularly hold bilateral consultations, thereby attesting to the political will of their leaders to strengthen the ties of cooperation and solidarity between them for the benefit of their peoples. The Government of the Niger also considers that each country and each people has the legitimate right to establish its own development model freely and with the same opportunities for success in accordance with the principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations. For all the above reasons, the Republic of the Niger continues to support its sister republic, Cuba, in its campaign to secure the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against it by the United States of America.
Nigeria
[Original: English] [13 May 2014] The Federal Government of Nigeria maintains friendly relations with all States and does not favour unilateral measures to settle political disputes. Consequently, the Federal Government reiterates its support for ending the embargo against Cuba.
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Norway
[Original: English] [2 June 2014] The Government of Norway reaffirms its position in favour of resolution 68/8. Norway does not promulgate or apply any laws or measures referred to in resolution 68/8. Norway does not apply trade or economic legislation against Cuba that restricts or discourages trade or investment to or from Cuba. Norway opposes the extraterritorial extension of unilateral measures against a third country.
Oman
[Original: English] [22 May 2014] The Government of Oman is not applying any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to resolution 68/8, in conformity with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law, which reaffirm freedom of trade and navigation. The Government of Oman reaffirms the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.
Pakistan
[Original: English] [21 April 2014] Pakistan is fully in observance of resolution 68/8.
Panama
[Original: Spanish] [2 June 2014] Panama reaffirms its defence of the free flow and transparent practice of international trade, and therefore firmly rejects unilateral coercive measures with extraterritorial effects that are contrary to international law and the commonly accepted rules of free trade established in all multilateral trade and integration mechanisms. Panama considers that economic, commercial and financial sanctions may not be imposed on a State unless they are established by Security Council resolutions and reflect action of the kind provided for in Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. For these reasons, Panama has historically condemned the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba by the United States of
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America, supporting this fraternal Latin American country in resolutions of the General Assembly and in regional and international forums. In this regard, Panama will continue to support all efforts to end the embargo against Cuba, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Therefore, Panama believes that dialogue and discussion aimed at finding the best solution to the problem for the Cuban people should continue on the basis of the principles outlined above.
Papua New Guinea
[Original: English] [20 June 2014] The Government of Papua New Guinea reiterates its support for General Assembly resolution 68/8, which advocates the end of the economic embargo against Cuba, which Papua New Guinea has consistently endorsed. Papua New Guinea currently has no restrictive legislative or other measure against Cuba. On the contrary, it encourages the development of constructive and friendly relations between both countries, in keeping with the spirit and letter of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Papua New Guinea therefore further reaffirms that it is not supportive of the extraterritorial application of laws and regulations that infringe on the sovereignty of other Member States.
Paraguay
[Original: Spanish] [19 June 2014] In conformity with the principles established in the Constitution and the Charter of the United Nations and the general principles of international law, the Government of Paraguay considers that the extraterritorial application of domestic laws infringes on the sovereignty of other States, jeopardizes the juridical equality of States and compromises the principle of non-intervention, while also affecting the freedom of international trade and navigation. Paraguay fully complies with General Assembly resolution 68/8 and has not applied measures or laws of the kind referred to in that resolution.
Peru
[Original: Spanish] [23 April 2014] Peru remains fully committed to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and of international law, particularly the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation.
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Peru considers that the extraterritorial application of domestic laws, as demonstrated by the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba, constitutes a unilateral act contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the basic principles of the multilateral trading system. Since 1992, when Peru voted in favour of resolution 47/19, submitted by Cuba for adoption by the General Assembly, the Government has voted in favour of all subsequent resolutions on this matter. In this regard, Peru has neither promulgated nor applied any laws or regulations that could affect Cuba’s sovereignty or its freedom of trade and navigation. Peru believes that these coercive measures affect Cuba’s economic growth and restrict its social and human development. The Government of Peru expresses its profound concern about the adverse effects that the embargo has on the quality of life and well-being of the Cuban people, especially with regard to food supply, health and other essential social services, by denying access to private credit, food, medicine, technology and other supplies needed for Cuba’s development. Peru continues to promote trade and economic exchange with Cuba and has consistently opposed the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against it. Thus, bilateral trade between Peru and Cuba has increased considerably in recent years, as has the number of air connections between Lima and Havana; this indicates that there will be not only a considerable wave of tourists to and from Cuba, but also an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral relations. In conclusion, Peru considers that the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba is inconsistent with the dynamics of regional politics, as illustrated recently by Cuba’s return to dialogue and cooperation forums in the Americas, including its service until January 2014 as President pro tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
Philippines
[Original: English] [3 July 2014] The Philippines maintains good relations with Cuba through economic and sociocultural cooperation in the fields of trade, science and technology, culture, sports and education. The Philippines has not enacted legislation or measures to prohibit or restrict economic, financial and commercial relations with Cuba.
Qatar
[Original: Arabic] [12 May 2014] The position of the State of Qatar regarding this resolution remains unchanged: the State of Qatar fully supports General Assembly resolution 68/8. The State of Qatar firmly supports the rules and principles of international law in its foreign
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policy, and follows a policy of full compliance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Qatar therefore has not introduced or applied any laws or measures inconsistent with the resolution.
Republic of Korea
[Original: English] [29 May 2014] The Republic of Korea has not applied laws or administrative measures of the kind referred to in General Assembly resolution 68/8.
Republic of Moldova
[Original: English] [5 May 2014] The Republic of Moldova fully upholds the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law and has never promulgated nor applied laws or measures of the kind referred to in resolution 68/8.
Russian Federation
[Original: Russian] [14 May 2014] The position of the Russian Federation in respect of this resolution remains unchanged and coincides with the view of the overwhelming majority of members of the international community, which firmly reject the United States embargo against Cuba and call for its earliest withdrawal. We consider that the continuation of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba is counterproductive and a remnant of the cold war and that it serves the sole purpose of hindering the island ’s economic development. We continue to expect that the decisions by the Government of the United States to relax some aspects of the embargo regime will be followed by other actions in order to lift the embargo once and for all. Guided by the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations regarding the inadmissibility of any discriminatory measures or interference in the internal affairs of States, the Russian Federation will support the draft resolution calling for the lifting of the embargo to be submitted at the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly.
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Rwanda
[Original: English] [20 June 2014] The Government of the Republic of Rwanda, guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, fully implements General Assembly resolution 68/8, reaffirms its support for the said resolution and has neither promulgated nor applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to that resolution. The Government of Rwanda stresses that there are no legal or regulatory impediments to free transit or trade between Rwanda and Cuba.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
[Original: English] [21 May 2014] The Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis holds in high regard the Charter of the United Nations and other provisions enshrined in international law that govern the relationships between States and international entities. The Federation therefore does not promulgate laws or implement any measures that restrict the free flow of international trade or that have extraterritorial effects that encroach on the sovereignty of other States, as it considers such to be in violation of the principles of the Charter. Saint Kitts and Nevis is grounded by the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations and complies with its obligations under international law. Saint Kitts and Nevis believes that all States are equal and should always be treated fairly. It is in that vein that Saint Kitts and Nevis continues to call for the United States of America to rescind the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba. The Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis is concerned that after protracted and repeated calls through declarations and resolutions, the embargo still remains. In the light of the existing cooperation and cordial relations between Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Republic of Cuba, Saint Kitts and Nevis joins the international community in support of the General Assembly resolution, which calls for the United States of America to put an end to the embargo. Saint Kitts and Nevis reiterates its support for the lifting of this embargo, considering that it runs counter to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and given the severe humanitarian impact it is having on the Cuban people.
Saint Lucia
[Original: English] [20 May 2014] The Government of Saint Lucia affirms its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and, in particular, to the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of States and peaceful co-existence among nations.
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The Government of Saint Lucia reaffirms its position that discriminatory trade practices and the extraterritorial application of domestic laws do not accord with the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Accordingly, Saint Lucia has not promulgated any law, legislation or measure, or taken any other action that would contravene the exercise of sovereignty by a Member State in its lawful interests, or obstruct freedom of commercial activity, trade or economic cooperation. The Government of Saint Lucia has consistently supported the relevant General Assembly resolutions on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America on Cuba.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
[Original: English] [27 May 2014] The economic, commercial and financial embargo of the Government of the United States of America against Cuba has remained in place for more than 50 years, despite calls from the international community to end it. The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has consistently and unreservedly voted in favour of the General Assembly resolutions on the necessity of ending this embargo, which it views as outmoded, unjust and illegal and serves only to bring undue hardship to the Cuban people. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines enjoys very friendly relations with Cuba and continues to engage in solidarity with the Government and people of Cuba through a variety of constructive, cooperative and mutually beneficial partnerships. The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines maintains its strong opposition to the extraterritorial application of national legislation that demonstrates disregard for the sovereignty of States. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines views such actions as being contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the principles of sovereign equality, peaceful coexistence and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States.
Samoa
[Original: English] [9 May 2014] The Government of the Independent State of Samoa reaffirms its absolute commitment to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including, in particular, the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation, which also form fundamental principles of international law. Samoa has consistently supported General Assembly resolutions calling for an end to the trade embargo against Cuba and has neither promulgated nor applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in General Assembly resolution 68/8.
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San Marino
[Original: English] [29 May 2014] The Republic of San Marino has always generally been against the imposition of any embargo, and therefore it is against the imposition of the unilateral embarg o against Cuba as a means of pressure and because of the serious repercussions on the populations.
Sao Tome and Principe
[Original: English] [30 May 2014] The Government of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe affirms the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nation, multilateralism in international relations, the fundamental principle of free trade and other international legal instruments. The Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe condemns any unilateral decision that seeks to restrict economic, commercial and financial activities, thereby impeding social and human development. The embargo has a direct impact on the Cuban people, especially on the most vulnerable sectors of society, and is affecting Cuba’s economic growth. The Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe has excellent relations of cooperation and friendship with Cuba and has always voted in favour of the resolution against the embargo. It renews once again its support for resolution 68/8. The Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe welcomes the decision taken by the United States of America in 2012, and encourages both the United States and Cuba to seek, in a peaceful and neighbourly spirit, solutions to improve their bilateral relations, in order to strengthen peace and cooperation.
Senegal
[Original: French] [7 July 2014] Senegal continues to be guided by the principles and purposes of the United Nations. As always, it abides by the provisions of resolution 68/8.
Serbia
[Original: English] [6 June 2014] The Republic of Serbia, guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and reaffirming its commitment to the rules and principles of international law, fully implements resolution 68/8, and has never promulgated or
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applied any laws or measures or acts of the kind referred to in the preamble to the resolution. The Republic of Serbia has consistently supported the aforementioned resolution in the General Assembly and voted in its favour. The Republic of Serbia calls for an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba, expressing the desire of the overwhelming majority of Member States of the United Nations.
Seychelles
[Original: English] [19 May 2014] The Government of the Republic of Seychelles once again fully endorses the content of General Assembly resolution 68/8. The Government of Seychelles rejects the imposition of laws and regulations with extraterritorial impact and all other forms of coercive economic measures, and calls on States to refrain from promulgating and applying such laws and measures, as they affect the sovereignty of other States, the legitimate interests of entities under their jurisdiction and freedom of trade and navigation. As an advocate for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Seychelles pursues a policy of full respect for international laws and the principles and purpose of the Charter, the sovereign equality of States and non-interference in the internal matters of other States. The embargo not only contravenes the fundamental norms of international law in general and free trade in particular, it is also contrary to both the letter and the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations and the Millennium Declaration. The embargo on the Cuban economy continues to be of great concern to the world community, and its humanitarian impact on the Cuban people, especially in the field of health care and nutrition, is particularly saddening. Seychelles is deeply concerned that the embargo is severely and unjustifiably damaging to the well-being of the Cuban people. The blockade continues to cause irreparable damage to the economic, social and cultural development of Cuba, as it deprives its people of their rightful opportunities emanating from free trade. In the midst of serious economic and social challenges, as a result of the embargo, Cuba has extended and continues to extend a hand of friendship and solidarity to fellow developing countries around the world. As a fellow island nation, Seychelles also recognizes the particularly crucial role that trade plays on island development, as island societies are often more likely to be import-dependent and are more vulnerable to exogenous shocks. Recent developments have demonstrated the importance of invoking our collective moral authority in a renewed call to all nations to reflect a spirit of cooperation, multilateralism and interdependence, as well as diversity in our cultural and ideological foundations, in all our international dealings, without exception. The people of Cuba have suffered for over five decades in their quest for freedom. They deserve to benefit from their hard work and commitment to social justice.
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Seychelles once again calls on the international community to lend its support to this cause.
Sierra Leone
[Original: English] [23 June 2014] The Government of Sierra Leone once again fully endorses the lifting of the sanctions and rejects the imposition of laws and regulations with extraterritorial impact and all other forms of coercive economic measures. The Government of Sierra Leone reaffirms its support for resolution 68/8. Sierra Leone has consistently supported resolutions calling for an end to the United States trade embargo on Cuba.
Singapore
[Original: English] [3 April 2014] The Government of Singapore reaffirms its support for General Assembly resolution 68/8. Singapore has consistently supported resolutions calling for an end to the trade embargo of the United States of America on Cuba since 1995 and has voted in their favour.
Solomon Islands
[Original: English] [9 May 2014] Solomon Islands remains saddened to see remnants of the cold war persist to this day and age. The economic, commercial and financial embargo of the United States of America on the Government and people of Cuba continues to place the children and people of Cuba in a difficult situation. Solomon Islands calls for the unconditional lifting of the blockade, in keeping with the principles and purpo ses of the Charter of the United Nations. Solomon Islands acknowledges the spirit, the resilience and the generosity of the Government and people of Cuba in educating, sheltering and clothing children from a multitude of States that are studying there, despite the imposed hardship.
Somalia
[Original: English] [9 May 2014] Somalia has no laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to resolution 68/8, in conformity with obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law, which, inter alia, reaffirm freedom of trade and navigation.
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South Africa
[Original: English] [9 May 2014] The Government of South Africa will continue to strongly support all solidarity programmes and activities that demonstrate the illegal, unilateral and oppressive nature of United States of America policy towards Cuba. In South Africa’s view, the embargo shows complete contempt for the principles, purposes and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, especially the principle of the sovereign equality of States and non-intervention in the domestic affairs of Member States. For more than half a century this embargo has continued to impose severe economic and financial restrictions that stifle the economic and social development of Cuba, further exacerbating hardships and the suffering of the people of Cuba. This, in return, hinders the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, by the Government of Cuba and its people. The Government of South Africa has noted the plans announced by the Government of Cuba to open its economy to greater foreign investment under a new law to be taken up in 2014 by its legislature. The Cuban measure to open up the economy to outside investment seeks to attract greater foreign capital, generate new jobs and bolster domestic industry. This step will assist Cuba to increase its exports and reduce its dependence on goods purchased from overseas. Cuba remains a key partner in enhancing foreign policy objectives in pursuit of our countries’ mutual identified domestic priorities. In 2014, South Africa and Cuba celebrate 20 years of diplomatic relations. Both countries are committed to improving the quality of life for their nationals, in an effort to make the world a better place for all. South Africa will continue to call for an immediate end to the continued unilateral economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba by the United States of America.
Sri Lanka
[Original: English] [30 May 2014] Sri Lanka does not approve of the use of unilateral economic measures against any country that are inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Sri Lanka is of the view that the implementation of such measures impedes the rule of law and transparency of international trade and the freedom of trade and navigation. Sri Lanka has not promulgated any laws or measures referred to in the preamble to resolution 68/8. Sri Lanka has continuously supported the adoption of this resolution in the General Assembly and taken the position that the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba needs to end.
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State of Palestine
[Original: English] [2 July 2014] The State of Palestine, which continues to suffer from the devastating humanitarian, economic and developmental impact of the blockade that has been imposed by Israel, the occupying Power, for more than seven years on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, reaffirms its principled position in support of resolution 68/8 and relevant United Nations resolutions, as well as the positions adopted by the Non-Aligned Movement and by the Group of 77 and China, calling for an end to the trade embargo unjustly imposed against the Republic of Cuba. Furthermore, the State of Palestine, guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, affirms that it has never promulgated or applied laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble of resolution 68/8. The State of Palestine enjoys full diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cuba and will continue to strive to strengthen political, economic and cultural relations with the Republic of Cuba.
Sudan
[Original: English] [2 June 2014] Resolution 68/8 was very important and the Republic of the Sudan fully supported it, calling for an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, in its statement before the General Assembly. The Government of the Republic of the Sudan pursues a policy that respects the principles of the sovereign equality of States and non-interference in the internal affairs of others. Consistent with its principled stand, the Sudan opposes the imposition of sanctions on developing countries for their devastating impact on the efforts of those countries to achieve sustainable development and because they constitute a violation of the Charter of the United Nations. To that effect, the delegation of the Sudan participates every year in the debate of the General Assembly and votes with the majority of Member States in favour of General Assembly resolutions prohibiting the imposition of such unilateral measures and sanctions. The Government of the Republic of the Sudan reaffirms that it does not promulgate or apply any laws or measures that could, by being applied outside its own national borders, affect the sovereignty of any State. The Government of the Republic of the Sudan calls for the repeal of laws that impose such measures. On the basis of the foregoing, the Sudan opposes the economic and commercial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba, which has caused great damage and suffering to the Cuban people and violated its legitimate rights and interests, and is a flagrant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, disregarding their lofty and noble principles.
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The Sudan itself continues to suffer from the unilateral economic sanctions imposed on it by the United States of America since November 1997. Such unilateral sanctions are in violation of the legitimate right of the Sudan and Cuba and all developing countries and their people to choose a political, economic, and social system that fully responds to their aspirations. Since the adoption of this General Assembly resolution, the Government of the Republic of the Sudan has put the issue at the forefront of the multilateral system to mobilize support for the elimination of all forms of unilateral coercive economic measures on developing countries. The Sudan is increasingly promoting its bilateral relations with the Republic of Cuba. In this regard, the Joint Ministerial Commission between Sudan and Cuba was convened from May 2007 to June, 2007 in Havana, and the Sudan delegation was headed by the Minister of International Cooperation, along with other high- ranking officials. The joint Ministerial Commission is the mechanism embodying all sectors of cooperation between the two countries. As means of fostering bilateral ties and combating the negative effects of the embargo, the Joint Ministerial Commission is expected to enhance and consolidate relations between the Sudan and Cuba in all fields. A further step in bilateral relations between the two countries was taken when the Permanent Representative of the Sudan to the United Nations was accredited as Ambassador to Cuba in December 2007. Furthermore, bilateral relations between the two countries were enhanced through an exchange of visits by senior officials to both countries. The Sudan participated at the ministerial level in the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries held in Havana from 27 to 30 April 2009, and called in its statement for the immediate end of the embargo against Cuba. In its bilateral meeting with Cuban officials, the Sudan reiterated its commitment to enhancing bilateral relations with Cuba in all fields.
Suriname
[Original: English] [24 April 2014] The Republic of Suriname remains firmly committed to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and to upholding the principles of international law. The Government of the Republic of Suriname has never promulgated or applied laws or measures of the kind referred to in resolution 68/8. The Government of the Republic of Suriname is of the considered view that sovereign equality, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and other relevant norms governing international relations should be respected at all times.
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Swaziland
[Original: English] [9 May 2014] The Kingdom of Swaziland continues to support all efforts aimed at ending the blockade against Cuba. The blockade against the Cuban people remains the main obstacle to the development of the country and to the national efforts to maintain its major economic and social achievements and to improve the quality of life of Cuban men, women and children. It is therefore our fervent hope that the Cuban people will be able to rely on the support of the international community in their legitimate demand that the blockade imposed on them by the United States of America be lifted and that Cuba will enjoy all the freedoms, rights and privileges enjoyed by all sovereign nation States without any hindrance. The Kingdom of Swaziland views the continued imposition of an economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba since 1960 and its further enforcement by the Helms-Burton Act of 1996 as a violation of the principle of the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs. In addition to being unilateral and contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and to the principle of good neighbourliness, the embargo has caused huge material losses and economic damage to the people of Cuba. The blockade has not only caused incalculable suffering to the people of Cuba, but it also undermines the legitimate economic interests of third countries. In line with all previous United Nations resolutions on this item, the Kingdom of Swaziland believes that constructive dialogue is necessary to foster mutual trust and understanding, harmony and peaceful coexistence among all nations of the world.
Syrian Arab Republic
[Original: Arabic] [11 April 2014] The Syrian Arab Republic affirms that unilateral coercive measures in all their forms are illegal and constitute a violation of the Charter of the United Nations, the principles of international law, human rights and international humanitarian law. They are also in blatant contradiction of the rules and principles that govern relations between States, especially the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non-interference in the internal affairs of States, and the need to develop friendly relations between States and promote the stability and well-being of their peoples. The Syrian Arab Republic rejects, as a matter of principle, the imposition by States or regional or subregional entities of any unilateral measures, whether economic, commercial or financial, for the purposes of coercing developing States politically or economically, or forcing them to take specific steps or modify their policies. Unilateral measures constitute a collective punishment of a people as a
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whole, undermine the United Nations system and adversely affect its powers. Moreover, they hamper international trade and the full realization of the rights provided for in human rights instruments. The Syrian Arab Republic notes that unilateral measures, such as halting development aid for certain developing countries, breaking off economic relations with those States, imposing an economic, commercial and financial embargo on them, prohibiting financial and banking operations with them and preventing investments into and out of certain developing States, in addition to the exercise of various forms of pressure and provocation against other Governments in order to force them to adopt such unilateral measures, reduce the opportunities for the peoples of affected States to achieve sustainable development. Moreover, those measures stir up feelings of hostility towards the West. The majority of such measures have been and continue to be imposed by Western States, especially the United States of America and certain European States, in order to weaken the Governments of United Nations Member States and impose their own will on them, contrary to the wishes of the peoples of the concerned States and their national and regional interests. This exacerbates tensions between States and threatens international peace and security. The Syrian Arab Republic also affirms that the embargo that the United States of America has imposed on Cuba for more than five decades is unlawful and inconsistent with the standards adopted by the international community for interaction between States. The embargo has subjected Cuba to various kinds of economic, social and political harm. It has intensified the suffering of the Cuban people and affected their intensive efforts to achieve well-being and prosperity. The embargo has placed the United States of America in a position that cannot be justified under any circumstances from a legal or moral point of view, one that is politically at odds with the overwhelming majority of United Nations Member States. The Syrian Arab Republic reiterates the call of the sixteenth summit of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries (Tehran, 26 to 31 August 2012) for an end to the embargo imposed by the Government of the United States of America against Cuba. It recalls that, at the second South Summit in 2005, the Group of 77 and China rejected unilateral coercive measures and appealed to the United States of America to bring an end to its embargo on Cuba. Proceeding from its position of principle in respect of the unilateral measures taken by the United States of America and the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by that country against Cuba, and on the basis of the right of peoples to pursue all legitimate means to protect and strengthen their economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, as enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Syrian Arab Republic voted in favour of General Assembly resolution 68/8, which emphasized the need for compliance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and reaffirmed the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation. In that resolution, the Assembly reiterated its call that all States should refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures of the kind imposed on Cuba and called for an end to
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the economic, commercial and financial embargo that has been imposed on Cuba for more than five decades. The General Assembly is urged to take the necessary measures, in accordance with its mandate and its relevant resolutions, to put an end to the hostile practices, policies of embargo and unilateral economic measures contrary to international law that have been adopted by certain States towards their immediate geographical neighbours and towards other States that are far away from them in geographical terms. The Syrian Arab Republic calls for the intensification of international efforts to cast light on the effects of extreme, unilateral coercive measures and to put an end to that phenomenon, which is connected to the efforts of the West to hold sway over the countries of the South and their resources. The Syrian Arab Republic calls for the embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba to be eliminated in all its forms and for the unilateral measures imposed by the United States of America, the European Union and other States on a number of countries, including Syria, to be brought to an end. The Syrian Arab Republic hopes that the international community will make its voice heard through the General Assembly and other international institutions and organizations, and that the United States of America will respect, and its institutions will fully observe, that voice.
Tajikistan
[Original: English] [12 June 2014] The Government of Tajikistan reaffirms its position in support of General Assembly resolution 68/8. Tajikistan is committed to the principles of international law and supports the fundamental rights of nations to freely choose their own ways of development. Taking into account, among other principles, the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade, Tajikistan believes that such economic, commercial and financial measures against Cuba continue to adversely affect the living conditions and human rights of the Cuban people and hamper the efforts of the Government of Cuba to achieve internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. Furthermore, given that the international community is facing major challenges such as the global financial and economic crisis and the resulting increase in poverty, unemployment and malnutrition, the imposition of embargoes and sanctions will be more unjustifiable than ever and deserves appropriate reactions at the global level. Such actions are contrary to the principles of international law, the sovereign equality of States, non-interference in the internal affairs of States and peaceful coexistence among States.
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Tajikistan enjoys friendly diplomatic and economic relations with Cuba. Tajikistan will continue to undertake further measures to strengthen cooperation and develop friendly relations with Cuba.
Thailand
[Original: English] [2 May 2014] Since 1994, the Royal Thai Government has consistently supported General Assembly resolutions calling for an end to the trade and economic embargo against Cuba. Thailand opposes the imposition by one country of its national law on another country, which, in effect, compels a third party to comply with it. Such an act would be contrary to the fundamental principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The imposition of the unilateral embargo against Cuba has undermined the socioeconomic development of the country and caused the suffering of its people. Thailand has maintained neither legal provisions nor domestic measures of such nature and continues to discourage them.
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
[Original: English] [9 July 2014] The Republic of Macedonia fully implements resolution 68/8.
Timor-Leste
[Original: English] [28 May 2014] The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste adheres fully to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, in particular the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation. In this regard, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste reaffirms its position in support of General Assembly resolution 68/8, and reiterates that it has not promulgated or applied any laws or measures referred to therein. The Government of Timor-Leste is opposed to the continued adoption and application of such extraterritorial measures and supports the immediate and unconditional lifting of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba.
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Togo
[Original: French] [6 June 2014] In keeping with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Togo has always striven to promote respect for the sovereign equality and territorial integrity of States and for non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs. Likewise, it supports unreservedly the principle of the freedom of trade and navigation, which is enshrined in numerous international legal instruments. Consequently, Togo systematically rejects the use of any unilateral measures to exert pressure on States. For this reason, it has never promulgated or applied any laws or regulations aimed at curtailing the sovereignty of other States or the legitimate interests of entities or persons under their jurisdiction. The Government of Togo has consistently supported the actions of the Cuban Government aimed at ending the embargo imposed against Cuba by the United States of America.
Tonga
[Original: English] [29 May 2014] The Kingdom of Tonga adheres fully to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and accepted under international law, in particular, the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation. Thus, the Kingdom of Tonga has not promulgated or applied any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to resolution 68/8. The Kingdom of Tonga maintains friendly and diplomatic relations with Cuba.
Trinidad and Tobago
[Original: English] [28 May 2014] The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago remains fully committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular to the principles of the sovereign equality of States, non•intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation. The Government remains steadfast in its view that discriminatory trade practices and the extraterritorial application of domestic laws do not accord with the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and in international law. Accordingly, in conformity with its obligations under the Charter
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and in international law, Trinidad and Tobago does not apply unilateral economic measures as a means of political and economic coercion against other States. Since 1972, when diplomatic relations were established, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has maintained a multifaceted relationship with the Republic of Cuba, an important dimension of which is trade and economic in nature. Trinidad and Tobago consistently supports subregional, regional and international efforts to promote constructive dialogue to bring about the cessation, sooner rather than later, of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba, which significantly challenges the achievement of sustainable human development in that country. For this reason, Trinidad and Tobago reaffirms its call for the full reintegration of Cuba into the international system. This position is reinforced in subregional and regional bodies to which Trinidad and Tobago subscribes, such as the Caribbean Community, the Organization of American States, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.
Tunisia
[Original: French] [5 June 2014] Tunisia does not apply laws or unilateral measures with extraterritorial effects.
Turkey
[Original: English] [29 April 2014] The Republic of Turkey does not have any laws or measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to resolution 68/8; it expresses concern at such measures that adversely affect the living standards of people; and it reaffirms its adherence to the principles of freedom of trade and navigation in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. The Government of Turkey maintains its stance that differences and problems between States should be settled through dialogue and negotiations.
Turkmenistan
[Original: English] [20 June 2014] Turkmenistan supports the adoption of the aforementioned resolution. Moreover, Turkmenistan’s national legislation contains no provisions on limitation of freedom of trade and navigation.
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Tuvalu
[Original: English] [30 May 2014] The Government of Tuvalu reiterates its position that the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba runs counter to the need for promoting dialogue and ensuring the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, which calls for solidarity, cooperation and friendly relations among all nations. Such discriminatory trade practices continue to adversely affect the living conditions and human rights and efforts of the Government and people of Cuba to achieve the internationally agreed development and social goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. The Government of Tuvalu has not promulgated or applied laws or any measures against Cuba; therefore, the Government of Tuvalu fully supports the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba in line with the unequivocal and continued request of the majority of United Nations Member States. This will allow the Republic of Cuba to further consolidate and enhance its cooperation with small island developing States like Tuvalu.
Uganda
[Original: English] [27 June 2014] Uganda has normal trading relations with Cuba and does not honour the embargo.
United Arab Emirates
[Original: English] [9 June 2014] The United Arab Emirates voted in favour of resolution 68/8, in accordance with its obligations under the purposes and goals of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. The United Arab Emirates also emphasizes that all States must enjoy freedom of trade and navigation in all international sea lanes in accordance with international law. Therefore, the United Arab Emirates does not apply any economic, commercial or financial embargo on Cuba, and does not permit the application of these measures outside the context of international legitimacy.
United Republic of Tanzania
[Original: English] [14 April 2014] The United Republic of Tanzania reiterates its solidarity and support to the Government and people of Cuba, in calling for the immediate end of economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against
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Cuba. The embargo continues to affect Cuba’s economy, impede development and impact the daily lives of Cubans. Its termination, as called for by the General Assembly in numerous resolutions, including resolution 68/8, would open up greater opportunities for the Cuban people, who, despite the protracted blockade, have continued to render valuable support and assistance to many nations, including the United Republic of Tanzania, in several fields, such as health, agriculture and education. The United Republic of Tanzania acknowledges the positive steps undertaken by the current United States administration and encourages it to take further positive steps towards the ultimate cessation of the embargo.
Uruguay
[Original: Spanish] [22 May 2014] The Uruguayan Government wishes to report that, in accordance with the principles of international law and those set forth in the Charter of the United Nations, it has not adopted or applied any provisions affecting the sovereign equality of other States or their freedom to take sovereign decisions on matters within their jurisdiction, thus respecting the international democratic order, particularly the rule of non-intervention in the internal affairs of another State. The Eastern Republic of Uruguay rejects any direct or indirect means of imposing unilateral sanctions for sovereign decisions taken by any State in the political, financial, commercial, cultural or any other arena. Uruguay believes that, taking into account the London Naval Conference definition, an embargo is an order or proclamation issued by a State in time of war. It is clear that, now that the cold war has ended, there is no reason to keep in place measures such as the economic and commercial blockade or embargo, which reflect a bygone historical context. Uruguay strongly rejects any theory that supports or justifies the extraterritorial application of domestic laws, except in relation to protective jurisdiction and universal jurisdiction. The sanctions imposed and the extraterritorial laws enacted have caused incalculable damage to the economic development of the nation subjected to the embargo, but also to all the companies that have sought to do business with Cub a. The moral damage to the dignity and sovereignty of the Cuban people and other peoples with whom Cuba had trade relations has been compounded by the deprivation of the right to development and the cumulative loss of income as a result of these measures. All this has had a negative impact on the ability of the island’s residents, whether Cuban or foreign, to exercise fully their basic human rights to adequate food and the highest standard of living. The Eastern Republic of Uruguay calls for dialogue and multilateral negotiation as a useful tool for achieving the understandings necessary to reverse this situation, which has remained unchanged and unchallenged for many years.
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Vanuatu
[Original: English] [2 June 2014] The Government of Vanuatu wishes to state that it continues to maintain its position of support towards the “necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”. Vanuatu has maintained mutual relations with Cuba and has strengthened relations through South-South cooperation. Vanuatu does not apply any laws or measures against Cuba, and encourages other States to also maintain such non-measures while at the same time assisting Cuba in its development goals. Furthermore, the Government would like to recall the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to encourage all States to end all embargos on Cuba and to allow its Government and people to live and maintain and promote peace and security throughout the world.
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
[Original: Spanish] [23 May 2014] The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela does not and will never apply unilateral measures with extraterritorial effects that violate the sovereign rights and political independence of other States, as well as the human rights of their people, in accordance with the constitutional principles that underpin its actions in the community of nations, namely humanism, cooperation and solidarity among peoples, and its staunch commitment to peace, guided by its unconditional respect for the norms and principles of international law. The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterates its categorical rejection of the application of unilateral measures with extraterritorial effects because, in its opinion, they violate the norms and principles of international law enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and other international legal instruments; freedom of trade and navigation; and the norms of the international trading system. In addition, it reaffirms its condemnation of the application, by the United States of America, of the extraterritorial provisions of the Torricelli and Helms - Burton Acts, which have caused serious additional harm to the Cuban economy over the past 20 years in terms of its economic relations with third countries and with the subsidiaries of United States firms. Venezuela has strongly supported the 22 resolutions on this subject that have been adopted by an overwhelming majority of the General Assembly since 1991, as well as the declarations repudiating this type of hostile action, which undermines peaceful coexistence between nations and international legality, that have been made in other political forums.
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The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela again calls on the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, to end the merciless economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against the fraternal people of Cuba by his Government. A favourable response to this international appeal would demonstrate his country’s commitment to international law, as evidenced by its unconditional respect for the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations. The policy of confrontation that has been promoted and implemented by the United States of America for decades has affected the well-being of the Cuban people, whose human rights have been violated as a result of the illegal measures. The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela urges the United States of America to comply strictly with General Assembly resolutions 47/19, 48/16, 49/9, 50/10, 51/17, 52/10, 53/4, 54/21, 55/20, 56/9, 57/11, 58/7, 59/11, 60/12, 61/11, 62/3, 63/7, 64/6, 65/6, 66/6, 67/4 and 68/8. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela therefore reiterates its condemnation of the strengthening of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba by the United States of America, an action that in no way contributes to the climate of dialogue and cooperation that must necessarily prevail in international relations among sovereign, independent States in conformity with the spirit and purpose of the Charter of the United Nations and with General Assembly resolution 2625 (XXV) (the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations), adopted on 24 October 1970. Therefore, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela deplores the September 2013 decision by President Barack Obama’s Administration to extend economic sanctions against the Republic of Cuba for a further year. Furthermore, it notes with concern the measures implemented by the Government of the United States of America since December 2012, consisting of unfair and illegal fines on banking institutions operating in Cuba on the pretext of alleged violations of the unilateral economic, commercial and financial sanctions regime. According to the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 68/8, the economic and financial losses caused by the embargo are great, amounting to over $1 trillion. Such punitive measures also include prohibiting United States authorities from selling health-care technologies to Cuba. Thus, the United States Government, with its policies of persistent aggression, is flagrantly violating the human rights of the Cuban people, and particularly the right to health, by blocking the sale of equipment and drugs to this fraternal Latin American country. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela endorses the repeated declarations made by, inter alia, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, the twenty-third Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, the second Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the sixth Summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) in repudiation of the application of unilateral measures with extraterritorial effects, which it considers to be contrary to dialogue and cooperation as genuine expressions of inclusive and transparent multilateralism.
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It also wishes to draw attention to the declaration issued by the second Summit of Heads of State and Government of CELAC, held in Havana on 28 and 29 January 2014, expressing the following: “… We reiterate our emphatic rejection of the application of unilateral coercive measures and reiterate once again our solidarity with the Republic of Cuba. We also continue to call on the United States Government to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on that fraternal nation for more than five decades.” In addition, at the Extraordinary Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples’ Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP) and Petrocaribe, held in Caracas on 17 December 2013, the Heads of State and Government adopted a declaration in which they decided, in full solidarity with that fraternal Latin American nation: “to endorse the support and solidarity extended to Cuba by the countries members of ALBA-TCP and Petrocaribe at the sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly, which once again rejected the unjust and illegal embargo policy of the United States against Cuba”. Venezuela is convinced that the international community must continue to demand an end to the practice of applying unilateral coercive measures that seek to curtail the sovereign right of States to determine, in keeping with the right of self - determination, their own political and social model consistent with the actual situation in their respective countries and the particular requirements of their people. It considers that peoples should under no circumstances be deprived of their means of subsistence and development. Lastly, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela renews its firm commitment to unconditional respect for the norms and principles of international law and therefore calls again on the Government of the United States of America to comply with the 22 resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and to end the merciless and criminal economic, commercial and financial embargo which it has illegally maintained against Cuba for more than 50 years.
Viet Nam
[Original: English] [22 May 2014] The policy of blockade and embargo of the United States of America against Cuba over the past many decades represents a violation of international laws in general and of free trade law in particular, and an infringement of fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations, contravening the common desire of nations of the world to build sound and equal international relations, regardless of the political system, and with respect for each nation’s right to choose its own path of development. The General Assembly has for many consecutive years adopted, with an overwhelming majority, resolutions demanding that the United States end its economic, trade and financial blockade and embargo policies and laws against Cuba, the most recent of which is resolution 68/8, adopted with 188 votes in favour.
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It is the view of Viet Nam that the differences between the United States and the Republic of Cuba should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation, in a spirit of mutual respect, respect for each other ’s independence and sovereignty, and non-interference in the other’s internal affairs. Viet Nam reaffirms its strong support for the related General Assembly resolutions and believes that the United Nations will soon produce concrete initiatives and measures to rapidly implement the adopted resolutions in order to put an immediate end to the blockade and embargo against Cuba. Once again, Viet Nam confirms its friendship, cooperation and solidarity with the Cuban people and resolves to do its utmost with other peace-, freedom- and justice-loving peoples in the world to help the Cuban people overcome the consequences of the above-mentioned immoral and illegal blockade and embargo policy.
Yemen
[Original: English] [23 May 2014] The Government of the Republic of Yemen reasserts its strong belief in the principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law relating to national sovereignty, non-aggression, non-intervention in the internal affairs of States, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and the settlement of disputes between States by peaceful means. The Government of Yemen supports the efforts of the Secretary-General to create effective means of implementing resolution 68/8, aimed at the adoption by the international community of effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral economic measures as a means of economic and political coercion against developing countries. It should be noted that for some 35 years the Republic of Yemen has enjoyed outstanding diplomatic relations with the fraternal Republic of Cuba at the economic, social and cultural levels. Yemen has consistently sought to develop and strengthen those relations in the joint interests of both countries and peoples. It has concluded several bilateral cooperation agreements with the fraternal Republic of Cuba at the diplomatic, economic, cultural and medical levels. As a result of those agreements, Cuban citizens have been sent to Yemen and educational missions have gone to Cuba, and there has been active cooperation in a number of areas.
Zambia
[Original: English] [30 May 2014] Zambia continues to be greatly concerned that after 52 years of the embargo, and 22 consecutive General Assembly resolutions calling for an end to the unilateral coercive measures against Cuba, little has changed on the ground. In keeping with the norms of international law, including the overwhelming annual vote, Zambia
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strongly urges that action be undertaken by any country still maintaining such sanctions to withdraw them immediately. Zambia regrets the untold suffering the decades-long economic, commercial and financial embargo has caused the Cuban people. In particular, the right to influence their own development path has been severely restricted. For this reason, it is Zambia’s view that the unilateral embargo against Cuba has no role in an era of “setting the stage” for the post-2015 global development agenda. Zambia therefore strongly supports the United Nations decisions, particularly through General Assembly resolution 68/8, which reaffirmed the resounding call to end the sanctions on Cuba. It remains Zambia’s concern that the continued promulgation and application of laws such as the 1996 Helms-Burton Act create extraterritorial effects that affect the sovereignty of third States, the legitimate interests of entities or persons under their jurisdiction and freedom of trade and navigation. Zambia reassures Cuba of its solidarity on this issue, and welcomes the law passed in March 2014 by the Government of Cuba aimed at further attracting foreign investment and easing travel restrictions.
Zimbabwe
[Original: English] [15 May 2014] Zimbabwe joins the rest of the membership of the United Nations in expressing its deep concern over the continuation of the economic blockade of the Republic of Cuba. The economic blockade, which has now spanned more than half a century, continues to have deleterious effects on the Republic of Cuba and its people. The embargo remains a major obstacle to Cuba’s trade and economic development potential. Zimbabwe shares the opinion of the greater majority of the membership of the United Nations that the blockade constitutes a flagrant violation of the fundamental norms of international law and is contrary to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as all the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States. Thus, the economic blockade is a violation of the principles of the sovereign equality of States and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs. Moreover, the economic blockade against Cuba is contrary to accepted international trade regulations. Since 1992, the overwhelming majority of the international community has consistently opposed the trade embargo against Cuba and at the same time demanded its unconditional lifting. Zimbabwe is of the view that the continuation of the economic blockade of Cuba is indefensible and unjustified. Zimbabwe also joins other Member States in rejecting the promulgation and application of national laws with extraterritorial impact and all other coercive economic measures, including unilateral sanctions that are targeted mainly at developing countries that seek to reassert their sovereignty. As a victim of these ill- conceived, illegal and immoral sanctions, Zimbabwe fully understands their impact and therefore calls upon Member States to refrain from promulgating and applying such laws and measures.
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Zimbabwe therefore joins other Member States in calling for an immediate and unconditional lifting of the economic blockade against Cuba. The Republic of Cuba, like any other sovereign State, should be allowed to freely chart its own economic and social destiny.
III. Replies received from organs and agencies of the United Nations system
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
[Original: English] [5 May 2014] Cuba has not signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and is therefore not a member of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. As such, Cuba is not currently a recipient of equipment and technical support related to the establishment of a National Data Centre that would provide it with access to the data collected by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty network of seismic, infrasound, hydroacoustic and radionuclide stations, and it does not at present take part in associated capacity- building or training programmes of the Provisional Technical Secretariat. Additionally, Cuba does not host monitoring facilities under the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
[Original: Spanish] [4 July 2014]
Effects of the United States embargo: the current situation
The Cuban economy has been subject to severe financial constraints derived from the 2009-2010 crisis and has been affected by the increase in the international prices of foods that the country largely imports. The embargo on Cuba that the United States has maintained since 1962, together with the inclusion, as of 1982, of this Caribbean State on the list drawn up by the United States of countries sponsoring terrorism seriously impair the economic development of the island and inflict grave harm on the Cuban population. Currently, the embargo is significantly curtailing the positive effects of measures recently implemented in Cuba in connection with its economic and social policy guidelines and the updating of its economic model, which the Government has revived with a view to putting Cuba on a path of robust growth in a globalized context. Of particular note, among the recently adopted measures, are the establishment of the Mariel Special Development Zone and the new direct foreign investment law. The extraterritorial nature of the embargo, expressed in the Torricelli, Helms- Burton and other Acts, has been exacerbated in recent years by the sanctions imposed by the United States on commercial enterprises and financial institutions in a number of countries for engaging in transactions with the Caribbean country. For instance, in 2010 four banks were penalized and forced to pay fines totalling US$ 502 million for
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conducting financial transactions with Cuba. Two years later, the ING bank was fined US$ 619 million for the same reason. Towards the end of 2013, U.S. Treasury Department regulators fined Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) US$ 100 million for violating sanctions against Cuba and other countries. At the same time, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) reported that in 2012 it had blocked transactions with Cuba in the amount of US$ 253.1 million, up 3.3 per cent over the figure for 2011.12 At the beginning of 2014, Cuba announced the suspension of practically all its consular services in the United States after M&T Bank Corp decided to cease operations with foreign diplomatic missions and given the difficulty of finding another bank to take on the accounts of Cuba’s diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C., and New York. Some two months later, the U.S. Treasury Department fined the Dutch travel agency Carlson Wagonlit Travel US$ 5.9 million for maintaining trade relations with Cuba. According to the Cuban Government’s most recent report, the accumulated damage from the start of the embargo in February 1962 through April 2013 amounted to US$ 1,157,327,000,000 (considering the depreciation of the dollar against the price of gold in the international market), taking into account the effects on trade, travel, financial transactions and foreign investment. In addition, the embargo forces Cuba to pay extra insurance and freight charges and more for foreign exchange transactions given the impossibility of using the dollar in commercial and financial transactions. All that also forces up credit risk premiums in trade with Cuba. Another effect of the embargo is to hamper, and increase the cost of, imports into Cuba of modern machinery and equipment, which affects the entire economy. In particular, it prevents access to latest-generation information and communication technologies. The embargo bans the sale to Cuba of software product licenses and denies Cuban entities and citizens access to Internet sites and services. Two prominent recent OFAC sanctions against U.S. and other countries’ telecommunication firms for providing services to Cuba were the US$ 21,671 fine imposed on LD Telecommunications Inc., of Florida and the US$ 1.7 million fine imposed on Ericsson Panamá. More recently, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the State of New York fined the French bank BNP Paribas US$ 8.970 million for not abiding by the unilateral sanctions regulations issued by the United States Government. Referring directly to the case of Cuba, the U.S. Attorney General maintained that the institution stood accused of processing transactions with Cuban entities in the amount of US$ 1.7 billion.
Recent economic developments in Cuba
The official GDP growth projection for 2014 is 1.4 per cent. Due to the acute shortage of financing for development, Cuba’s investment ratio is only 12.6 per cent of GDP,13 which is clearly not enough to achieve robust levels of growth. Other ______12 See the list of U.S. sanctions against Cuba in United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, “Cuba: What you need to know about U.S. sanctions against Cuba”, 24 January 2012 (www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba.pdf). 13 Average gross capital formation in 2007-2012 at constant prices.
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factors contributing to the poor performance of the economy include the tightening of the embargo and adverse climatic conditions. The Government’s projections for 2014 include expansion in the sugar, agriculture and livestock, and hotels and restaurants sectors, with less vigorous activity in the manufacturing sector nit by financial constraints. The agriculture, livestock, and forestry sector grew 2.6 per cent in 2013, but would appear to need a further boost in coming years to overcome considerable supply shortages. Under Raúl Castro, the Government has taken specific steps since 2007 to step up output in that sector. They include, in particular: (a) higher producer prices for a number of crops; (b) the delivery of land for beneficial use (usufruct) (so far more than 1,580,000 hectares have been handed over); (c) the offer of farmer’s loans at preferential interest rates, and (d) expansion of the area to be granted for beneficial use and home building permits. This year, further measures are expected, based on the economic and social policy guidelines, since the agriculture/livestock sector is one of the pillars of the economy. Suffice it to say, it employs nearly a million workers (20% of the total workforce) and for 127 of Cuba’s 169 municipalities it is the main economic activity. During 2014, the Government also plans to boost the agricultural inputs market. The free sale of inputs already got under way in the special “Isle of Youth” municipality and the idea is for each municipality to have an inputs store. Despite these measures, transformations are still needed in respect of technological change, the functioning of retail markets and value chains. The 2014 fiscal deficit is projected at 4.7 per cent of GDP, to be financed by the issuance of Ministry of Finance and Prices sovereign bonds, with payback periods of up to 20 years and average annual rate of 2.5 per cent. These bonds will be purchased by the Central Bank of Cuba (30%) and national banking institutions (70%). A notable feature of this year’s budget is a considerable increase in current expenditure. Thus, in 2014, it is projected to account for 94.4 per cent of total expenditure, compared to 88.7 per cent in 2013. This increase has to do with the significant expansion of expenditure on export financing and import substitution, which are up 41.4 per cent over the figure for 2013. Notable, too, is a sizeable reduction in capital expenditure and in subsidies for business losses. At the same time, the number of workers in the non-State sector, especially the independent workers sector, continued to grow throughout 2013 and in the first few months of 2014. In October 2010, there were about 157,000 independent (por cuenta propia) workers. By December 2012, there were 362,355 and one year later the number had risen to 447,835. At end-May 2014, there were more than 467,000 independent workers. Nearly two thirds (65%) of them were located in the provinces of La Habana, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Camagüey, Holguín and Santiago de Cuba. Their main activities are currently: recruitment of labour (19%), manufacturing and sale of food (12%), freight and passenger transportation (10%) and rental of housing (6%). The share of non-State employment has therefore risen and now accounts for 24.8 per cent of the total. The unemployment rate in 2013 was 3.3 per cent and it is expected to stay at around that level in 2014, even though the non-agricultural cooperatives are expected to become an important source of jobs. By May 2014, 249 non-agricultural
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cooperatives had been constituted, mainly in commerce, gastronomy, freight and passenger transport, construction and energy. In March 2014, the Council of Ministers approved considerable wage increases (more than doubling them in some cases) for 440,000 workers in the health sector. The increase is to take effect in June this year. In addition, pay was doubled for night-time work by doctors, nurses, technical staff and other workers. For medical staff on mission abroad, specifically in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, salaries in convertible pesos will be doubled. Financial incentives were also increased for top athletes and the wages earned by their teams (therapists and masseurs) were also raised.
Recent reforms in Cuba
A. More autonomy for socialist state enterprise
The economic plan for 2014 established that state enterprises would enjoy greater execution capacity. So, in April, changes and additions to the regulations were announced for implementing and consolidating the state enterprise management and administration system (dating back to 2007) with a view to adapting it to fit in with the new Cuban economic model. Thus, the idea is to increase the autonomy of those enterprises. One change had to do with approval of the business plan. Previously, this function was performed by the minister responsible for the sector or the President of the Provincial Administration Council, and now it will be performed by the President of the OSDE (Cuba’s Higher Business Management Organization). The new plan also establishes that State enterprises will be free to set the prices of their surplus output once the State quota has been met. There are also new guidelines regarding the enterprises’ reserves and the distribution of after-tax profits. State enterprises will now be able to retain up to 50 per cent of post-tax profits at the end of the year, that is to say, 20 per cent more than before. In addition the authorities have extended to all enterprises the possibility of distributing profits among workers to encourage economic efficiency, provided that those profits are backed by a financial audit showing satisfactory performance in the past 18 months and key management and productivity indicators are met. The enterprises’ reserves will be used to increase working capital and finance investments and research, development and training activities, as well as to pay back bank loans. A compensation fund may also be set up to cover any financial imbalances in the OSDE and establish other reserves to be used specifically by the oversight body. For workers in budgeted units, it was established that wages would accrue according to time worked.
B. New foreign investment law
The new foreign investment law, adopted in March 2014 by Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power and published in April along with its enabling regulations, allows for foreign investment in most sectors of the economy (exceptions are education, health and the armed forces). The Government establishes guarantees and offers foreign investors attractive tax breaks. Under the new law, investment can be in one of the following forms: (a) mixed (State-private) enterprise; (b) international economic partnership contract; and (c) a fully foreign-
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owned enterprise. It is to be noted that the last of these three modalities does not include the tax breaks granted under the other two forms of foreign investment. According to statements made by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, the new law seeks to encourage annual direct investment flows of US$ 2 billion to 2.5 billion as a way to boost economic development. This initiative arose following news of the establishment of the Mariel Special Development Zone decreed by the Government in September 2013, the main objectives of which include: (a) generating exports and promoting import substitution; (b) attracting direct foreign investment; (c) encouraging the establishment of national or foreign enterprises; and (d) ensuring that they are articulated into the rest of the economy.
C. Progress towards currency unification
The economic and social policy guidelines adopted in April 2011 accorded priority to the shift towards currency unification, while it is recognized that this complex process requires careful preparation. In 2011 and 2012, although there was no official pronouncement regarding the beginning of currency unification, implicitly a different exchange rate was agreed upon for direct sales of agricultural produce to hotels for tourists. Towards the end of 2011, the Official Gazette of the Government of Cuba announced a different exchange rate for this type of transaction (7 Cuban pesos (CUP) = 1 convertible Cuban peso (CUC)). In January 2013, the Government upped the rate from 7 to 9 Cuban pesos, as an incentive to farmers. In October 2013, the authorities announced the start of the process of currency unification. According to the official communiqué, the main changes in this first stage would affect juristic persons. Measures were announced such as extending permission for stores selling in CUC to accept payments in CUP using magnetic cards denominated in CUP. On an experimental basis and in select places, the authorities also allowed cash payments in CUP, based on the Casas de Cambio S.A. (CADECA) exchange rate of 25 CUP for 1 CUC. At the beginning of March 2014, three resolutions were disclosed modifying the way Cuba records transactions in foreign currency and convertible pesos. Methodologies were also established for wholesale and retail price formation for juristic persons. These are the first pricing and accounting regulations issued as part of the complex path towards currency unification.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
[Original: English] [29 May 2014]
Overall situation: Effects of the embargo on the sectors of Food Security, as well as on agriculture, fisheries and the food industry
The main changes since the last reporting period can be summarized as follows: (a) Cuba’s cereal production in 2013 is estimated at 802,000 tons (rice in milled equivalents), about 18 per cent above the 2012 output, mainly reflecting an
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increased rice crop. Total cereal production is 20 per cent higher than the average of the previous five years; (b) Paddy production officially rose by 13 per cent in 2012 to 642,000 tons (428,000 tonnes, milled basis), supported by increased cultivation and large gains in productivity. A further 19 per cent increase to 746,000 tons has been estimated for 2013, on the back of a 15 per cent expansion of plantings. Production of maize in 2013 is estimated at 305,000 tons, an increase of almost 21 per cent from the previous season. Imported volumes of cereals have remained steady in recent years, around 2 million tons, and in 2013-2014 they are expected to cover about seventy per cent of the country’s domestic utilization. The main effects of the embargo on agriculture, fisheries, livestock and the food industry should continue to be viewed from two different perspectives: (a) The problem is brought about by the impossibility of taking full advantage of the potential for exports of coffee, honey, tobacco, live lobsters and aquaculture products to the nearest market, the United States. This has implied major losses, since it has been necessary to sell to markets located further away; the resulting higher marketing and distribution costs have negatively affected the country’s foreign exchange earnings and its capacity to purchase basic products, especially food; (b) The high costs of inputs needed for agricultural, fisheries and livestock production (fuel, spare parts for agricultural machinery, animal feeds, phyto - and zoo-sanitary products and fertilizers, top technological products such as herbicides, low-toxicity insecticides and other highly effective pesticides or veterinary pharmaceuticals, and disease-diagnostic kits that, in many cases, are only produced by United States firms) decreases profitability and lowers the country’s ability to satisfy local food demand. Overall, the embargo has very negative implications for Cuba’s balance of trade and foreign exchange earnings, as well as for the country’s supply of food and agriculture products. The embargo affects the import of food products for human consumption, in particular those destined to meet the needs of social programmes, as restrictions limit their quantity and quality and thus having a direct effect on the food security of the vulnerable segments of the population. The overall economic damage in the agricultural sector between June 2013 and May 2014 is estimated to be $307,367,200. An additional problem resulting from the embargo relates to the difficulty for Cuba to access external multilateral financing for development programmes in agriculture and rural development in general, and the related unavailability of resources for restoring and modernizing agricultural equipment and infrastructure. Even the operations of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are directly affected, although officially exempted from the embargo. Delays or blocking may affect payments (if done in United States dollars) to FAO staff and providers for project procurement, in the latter case reducing the willingness of suppliers to sell to FAO-Cuba and increasing the cost of procurement from the few remaining suppliers.
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Effects of the Embargo on Selected Agricultural Commodities
Cereals
The economic damage estimated for cereal production as a result of the embargo is $2,447,830. Of this amount, $571,830 results only from price differentials between procurement of inputs in the United States and more distant and expensive markets. Of particular impact is the difficulty of obtaining quality seeds, owing to the concentration of the international seed market in a few multinational companies. The economic damage due to this factor is estimated at $1,057,125. Preliminary forecasts of Cuba’s cereal (milled rice equivalent) production in 2014 point to an output of close to 800,000 tons, unchanged from the previous year but above the country’s five-year average. Planting activities of the main 2014 paddy crops were launched in April and are set to continue until July. In 2014, Cuba’s paddy output is anticipated to remain largely unchanged at some 750,000 tons. This rather cautious forecast takes into account of the rising probability of the El Nino phenomenon recurring in the second half of 2014, which may distort the normal rainfall pattern. Support from the Government is to remain strong under the rice self-sufficiency programme. In spite of recent gains and the favourable production outlook for the coming season, the country is still uncertain and is highly dependent on imports: current forecasts indicate import levels of 400,000 tons of rice (in calendar year 2013); 800,000 tons of coarse grains (to be imported from July 2013 to June 2014; and wheat imports projected to reach about 800,000 tons. Overall, cereal imports account for about 70 per cent of domestic utilization. In general, despite ongoing Government efforts to liberalize and promote domestic food production, Cuba’s dependence on food imports remains high, mainly as a result of the low availability of agricultural inputs. Imports of rice have hovered around 400,000 tons since 2012, much of which is supplied by Viet Nam under a preferential trade agreement in place since 2010. Brazil and Argentina have also emerged as alternative suppliers.
Oilseeds
Oilseed production in Cuba is not significant and, as a result, the country depends almost entirely on imports to supply its vegetable oil and meal needs. Commodities dominating imports are soybeans, soy oil and soy meal. Recently, Brazil started providing assistance to Cuba for the cultivation of adapted, high - yielding varieties on the island. When the United States embargo came into effect, Brazil and Argentina became the main suppliers of soybeans and derived products. Both Mexico and Canada have, on occasion, shipped small volumes to Cuba. Sources from which Cuba has imported non-soybean oils and meals include Argentina, Mexico, the European Union, Canada and China. Imports of soybeans and derived products from the United States resumed in 2002, largely replacing purchases from other regions. A measure introduced by the United States in 2005, however, is considered to have kept imports from that country below the level that could have been achieved, while permitting purchases from other countries, notably of soy oil from Brazil, to expand again.
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Raw sugar
According to the latest FAO estimates, Cuba produced 1.8 million tons of sugar in 2013-2014, which is about 30 per cent above the average level for the period of 2008-2012. The increase in output confirms a steady recovery of production initiated in 2011, driven by investment in sugar production capacities at both the farm and factory levels. In addition, price incentives provided support for expansion. Sugar consumption is estimated to reach 675,000 tons in 2013/14, an increase of 7 per cent from that of the 2012/13 season. Because of rising production, exports increased by 8 per cent in 2013/14 from the levels of 2012/13. As a result of the embargo, Cuba does not have access to the United States market under the raw sugar tariff rate quota.
Meat
National meat production has been growing slowly and stood at 285,000 tons in 2013. Pork is the most important category of meat, followed by beef and then poultry. In 2013, 222,000 tons of meat were imported. The principal category of imported meat is poultry, followed by beef and then pork. In 2013, 189,000 tons of poultry were imported, of which 73 per cent originated in the United States, while a further 22 per cent was supplied by Brazil. Brazil is the main source of beef and pork imports, followed by the United States. The impact on poultry production is estimated at $41,800,000. The economic damage to pork production resulting from high import costs for animal feed and difficulties in accessing modern production technologies is estimated at $8,176,900. The price differential for importing 119,078 tons of animal feed from more distant markets alone resulted in additional costs of $6,127,700. Despite the recent changes in Government policy in favour of the development of national agriculture, productivity increases are hampered by restricted access to financial resources and technologies and limited infrastructure. Restrictions on the importation of technology and genetics means that the least expensive or most convenient source of supplies cannot necessarily be accessed.
Dairy products
Since 2005, milk production has increased substantially in Cuba and is estimated to have reached 610,000 tons in 2013. Imports account for approximately 60 per cent of consumption. Milk powder is the principal item that is imported, with supplies coming from Oceania, Latin America and Europe. The national dairy sector is a priority for the Government of Cuba, which aims to make Cuba less dependent on imported food. High prices on the international dairy market have led the Cuban authorities to increase producer prices in order to stimulate national milk output. Constraints on the sector’s growth are the high cost of imported feed and the limited availability of fuel for transport and distribution.
Fish products
Almost all of Cuba’s fish exports consist of high-value products, notably frozen shrimp and lobster, for which there is strong demand on the international market. The economic crisis has had a negative impact on demand for these species. Moreover, the embargo prevents access to the United States market, which is one of the most important markets for fish and fish products. As a result, Cuba exports to more distant markets and thus incurs higher marketing and distribution costs. Export
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earnings amounted to an estimated $59.2 million in 2011 for a total volume of 4,500 tons (product weight), representing, in value terms, a decrease of 21 per cent compared to 2010. Fish imports, consisting mainly of low-value fish products, increased in 2011, reaching an estimated $29.8 million for a total volume of 16,000 tons (product weight), which represents a growth of 20 per cent in value terms with respect to 2010.
Tobacco
The impact of the embargo in this sector is estimated at $150,300,000 in total from potential loss of export income, higher transportation and transaction costs and stiffer competition in the markets. Exclusion of Cuban premium tobacco products from the United States market alone is estimated to cost $8,800,000.
Fruit
The impact of the embargo in this sector is estimated at $333,604,000, again owing to the nearby and important United States market remaining inaccessible for Cuban products. The cost increment for transport in this sector was $78,584,000 and the impact on procurement of inputs and equipment $18,026.
Honey
Honey is a more important export product is for Cuba than coffee. The economic damage resulting from higher transport and transaction costs in exporting to more distant markets amounted to $18,847,000 for honey and $8,500,000 for pharmaceutical by-products of apiculture.
Coffee and cocoa
Although coffee is not a major commodity, it is important for the livelihoods of small farmers. Coffee rust disease is a significant threat to coffee plantations in the region, as experienced during the past season. The embargo could limit procurement and use of fungicides to protect plantations from the disease. The economic impact of the embargo is estimated at $1,900,000 for coffee and $3,550,000 for cocoa production.
Forestry
The damage to the forestry sector resulting from difficulties in keeping outdated production technology operational is estimated at $1,057,125.
Technical assistance to Cuba by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FAO continues to support the Government of Cuba in promoting rural development and fisheries, with an emphasis on food security. In addition, FAO is helping Cuban institutions to organize several international congresses and events in the areas of sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, animal production and health surveillance, cooperatives and family farming, fisheries and related policies, forestry and biodiversity, environment and climate change. Furthermore, FAO assists Cuban experts in providing South-South cooperation and attending meetings of international conventions and agreements, for which travel logistics and flight bookings are also
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affected by the embargo. Following the regional seminar on urban and peri-urban agriculture held in Havana in 2012, an extensive study on urban and peri-urban agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean was published by FAO (“Ciudades más verdes en américa latina y el Caribe”), with an in-depth focus on Havana. Within the framework of the South-South Cooperation Programme, a tripartite agreement was signed between Cuba, Cape Verde and FAO on 13 May 2011, whereby Cuba would provide technical assistance to Cape Verde through an expert and 12 technicians over a period of 18 months. The main objective is to plan and carry out activities in the following areas within the National Programme for Food Security of Cape Verde: horticulture and vegetable production, water management, small animal farming, hydroponic vegetable gardening and packaging of vegetable products. The programme is ongoing. FAO provided speakers and funds for the International Conference on Animal Health Surveillance held in Havana from 7 to 9 May 2014. Technical support for the life cycle management of pesticides continues to be provided to Cuba as part of regional initiatives implemented under a project funded by the European Commission to support capacity-building related to multilateral environmental agreements in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and for the clean-up of obsolete pesticides, pesticides management and sustainable pest management. The project has supported the inventory of obsolete pesticides, strengthening pesticide registration and raising awareness of pesticide issues. Cuba participates in project workshops. FAO has provided technical support and assistance for the development of tools that would allow Cuba to establish a national information system mechanism for applying the new monitoring approach for the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The Cuban delegation participates routinely, through the FAO Commission and its intergovernmental working group on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, in the development of the policy framework of the Second Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Indicators and Targets for Plant Genetic Resources and Preparation of Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources.
Effects of the embargo on projects implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Cuba
Because of the embargo on Cuba, projects implemented by FAO in the country are affected in terms of their procurement procedures, as resources that could be imported from the United States have to be imported from European, Asian and other markets at much higher prices and with additional freight costs. It would be cheaper to purchase the goods in the United States, which would in turn make more funds available for projects. In this regard, the embargo affects the purchase of equipment and other inputs for projects, including computers. It also leads to difficulties in the processing of payments and banking transactions from and to suppliers and in the banking processes affecting FAO personnel. At the request of the participants in the European Union-funded project on pesticides for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, FAO initiated the
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development of a regional Global Environment Facility (GEF) project to support the disposal of persistent organic pollutants and other obsolete pesticides and capacity development in pesticide management. Cuba was included among the participating countries until FAO was informed that GEF was not able to finance projects in Cuba at the current because of the embargo. Cuba has subsequently been removed from the countries benefiting from the GEF project.
International Atomic Energy Agency
[Original: English] [28 May 2014] Assistance activities by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to all of its member States, including Cuba, are governed by article III/C of the IAEA statute, which reads as follows: “In carrying out its functions, the Agency shall not make assistance to members subject to any political, economic, military, or other conditions incompatible with the provisions of this statute.” The existing embargo, however, poses certain difficulties to the implementation of the IAEA technical cooperation programme in Cuba. The procurement of essential equipment and material (such as radiopharmaceuticals) is quite often subject to cost increases and delays as the number of vendors able to supply and/or ship to Cuba is very limited. In addition, restrictions apply to the participation of Cuban nationals in IAEA - organized training activities or meetings in the United States. In accordance with the above-mentioned article of its statute, IAEA tries to overcome these difficulties, to the extent that it can, for example by sending Cuban nationals for training in other countries, in order to meet the requirements of its technical cooperation programme in Cuba.
International Civil Aviation Organization
[Original: English] [June 2014] At the thirty-eighth session of the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), held in Montreal, Canada from 24 September to 4 October 2013, the Economic Commission considered a working paper presented by Cuba that reported on the impact on the development of the Cuban civil aviation sector of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States.. In the paper, Cuba states that unilateral actions are not conducive to the safe, orderly and sustainable development of international civil aviation. It calls upon ICAO to address States’ concerns with regard to extraterritorial and unilateral measures by certain States that impact air transport services and urges member States to refrain from using such measures known to hamper sustainable development of international civil aviation. The Commission noted the information contained in the paper and the views expressed during the discussion. It recognized that this was a complex, delicate and sensitive issue which had been raised on previous occasions but one which the Commission could not resolve. It therefore decided to bring the matter to the attention of the President of the Council, whose “good offices” had been involved in this issue in the past.
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ICAO, through its Technical Cooperation Programme, is currently assisting the Civil Aviation Institute of the Government of Cuba in procuring a satellite station, as part of a regional project for the transition to the MEVA III Network.
International Fund for Agricultural Development
[Original: English] [12 May 2014] The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) maintains an open dialogue with the Government of Cuba, through its representatives in Italy, on all matters pertaining to rural development, agricultural production and food security in the country. Cuba also participates in the IFAD Governing Council as a member State and, since September 2012, it has been reintegrated into the regular lending activities and programme of work of IFAD. In addition, IFAD keeps a fluid dialogue and cooperates with FAO and other United Nations agencies present in the country.
International Labour Organization
[Original: English] [30 May 2014] The direct and indirect effects that the embargo causes on commerce and the Cuban economy do not only affect the enterprises, but also their workers and consumers. The accumulated amount of economic losses resulting from the embargo is estimated at more than $1 billion. The restrictions imposed on the transfer of remittances from Cuban workers living in the United States limits available family income of their Cuban relatives at home. As international statistics show, remittances are almost entirely used to finance family needs and are principally spent on basic human needs such as food, clothing, education, housing, water and sanitation. ILO considers that remittances should be mainly treated as salary income earned abroad and transferred to family members living in the home country. Erecting obstacles to monetary transfers in this context means charging an additional tax burden on salaries. The blockade also affects the financial sector and the availability of credit in the framework of Cuba’s international trade relations, therefore limiting potential investment and trade opportunities and benefits for the population. Access to technology is another sensitive issue for successful enterprise and economic development. Furthermore, the impact of the restrictions on acquisitions of medicine and medical technology in the health sector in general, and on the working population in need of medical services in particular, have been largely documented. As informed in previous years, Cuba is treated in the same way as any other member State of ILO and actively participates in the annual International Labour Conference and other ILO bodies. The ILO office in Mexico continues its technical cooperation programme on employment and decent work priorities in Cuba with the Ministry of Labour, the Cuban Confederation of Workers and the employer ’s group.
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During the biennium 2014-2015, ILO is providing technical assistance in three substantive areas: (a) Consolidating the implementation of the SIMAPRO (System for integrated measurement and advance of productivity) methodology in the sugar value chain (mills and field); (b) Promotion of the SIMAPRO methodology in the tourism sector; (c) Consolidating and systematizing risk profiles and maps on sugar mills and farmland, through the implementation of ILO methodology. ILO reiterates its view that the United Nations is the appropriate forum in which to address questions related to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba.
International Maritime Organization
[Original: English] [13 May 2014] As a State member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Cuba benefits from its participation in the meetings of IMO bodies and also from IMO technical cooperation programmes (IMO regional programmes on support to maritime development in Latin America and in the Caribbean, as well as global programmes as applicable). IMO maintains collaborative relations with all Latin American member States, including Cuba. Since the early 1980s, IMO has collaborated closely with the Operative Network for Regional Cooperation among Maritime Authorities of the Americas, which comprises South America, Cuba, Mexico and Panama. IMO assistance to Latin America is guided by the maritime strategies of the region, which are revised every five years, and IMO will continue to focus on supporting their implementation. Countries of the Operative Network for Regional Cooperation among Maritime Authorities of the Americas have addressed such issues as safety standards, training and protection of the marine environment through regional strategies, with numerous training activities organized in cooperation with IMO. In this context, and in pursuance of the decentralization policies adopted by IMO, most of its support is channelled through the Network by virtue of a memorandum of understanding signed with the Network’s secretariat. Through this instrument, the Network is assigned responsibility for the management and execution of regional technical cooperation activities identified by the respective countries, including Cuba, as priorities in building capacities for the effective implementation and enforcement of IMO global maritime standards. Cuba also receives technical assistance from the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Information and Training Centre for the Wider Caribbean, a regional activity centre based in Curaçao, which aims to assist countries in the wider Caribbean region in preventing and responding to major pollution incidents in the marine environment. IMO has not encountered difficulties in delivering any of the activities in the above-mentioned projects as a result of the embargo imposed by the United States.
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International Telecommunication Union
[Original: English] [26 May 2014]
Since May 2013, no new reports of harmful interference have been received by the Radiocommunication Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union.
Office of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system for operational activities for development, Cuba
[Original: English] [2 June 2014] Cuba, a high human development country, has already achieved many Millennium Development Goals. The main challenge is to maintain quality of social services and sustain already achieved Goals. The Government of Cuba is implementing a transformation process known as the updating of the economic model. This process focuses on national priorities such as economic efficiency and productivity, the national food security strategy and the import substitution policy. National authorities have stated their strong commitment to maintain the social development standards. The United Nations country team in Cuba is composed of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Food Programme. In addition, non-resident agencies like the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Labour Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitaria n Affairs, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDs, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women have programmes and initiatives in Cuba. A new United Nations Development Assistance Framework (2014-2018) has been developed within the context of Cuba’s updating process. This strategic framework is the result of a participatory and inclusive process, involving 22 national actors such as ministries, institutions, academics and national non-governmental organizations, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and 15 United Nations agencies in Cuba, including eight that are not based in the country. The United Nations Development Assistance Framework supports the country’s initiatives in the following areas: social and cultural services; development programmes; productive sectors and value chains; local development; sustainable energy; food and nutritional security; environmental sustainability; and disaster risk management. The efforts of the United Nations contribute to people- centred development strategies that seek to improve both the population’s quality of life and economic performance in a sustainable manner.
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In this context, the embargo has a pervasive impact on the social, economic and environmental dimensions of human development in Cuba, affecting the most vulnerable socioeconomic groups of the Cuban population in particular. Each United Nations agency, fund and programme has contributed specific inputs to the present report. The report presents the most significant cross-cutting issues that are negatively impacting the United Nations system’s humanitarian and development cooperation in Cuba. In 2013 it was not possible to demonstrate any substantial improvements.
Purchase of inputs at non-competitive prices and limitations on the import of goods, services and technologies patented in the United States
Cuban national companies and foreign companies established in Cuba are not allowed to purchase products, components or technologies in United States territory even though the United States is the closest, most competitive and most diversified market. Alternative markets that are adequate are more distant, resulting in higher importation costs and delays in delivery time. Goods, services or technologies produced by the United States, covered by United States patents, or containing any component produced and/or patented by the United States, are not available to Cuba. The United Nations system in-country can rarely benefit from global United Nations corporate contracts with United States companies for the purchase of equipment and services, such as computers, software licences and Internet services. Therefore, providers must be exclusively identified for these offices, entailing higher prices and administrative costs. Consequently, financial resources that could have been used to more effectively achieve the expected programme and development results are required to cover additional costs incurred as a result of embargo conditions. Humanitarian assistance is also limited by these restrictions, even if the humanitarian supplies, such as medicines, medical equipment and food, are purchased through multilateral cooperation.
Development credits granted by international financial institutions and financial services from United States Banks
The embargo has limited Cuba’s access to development credits granted by international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, which in turn has narrowed the possibility of obtaining resources to support financially the national and/or local development plans of Cuba. United Nations offices in Cuba cannot make use of corporate accounts with United States banks nor use the United States dollar as a currency of payment. These offices therefore have to take additional administrative measures to carry out programme-related financial operations, which results in higher costs, and use third - country banks, which entails a heavier administrative burden. The related incremented costs have been covered by United Nations and project funds from other donor countries. The embargo has also affected the financial transactions, salaries and banking and insurance services of United Nations international staff.
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Missions to United Nations headquarters and exchange of expertise
Any mission to Headquarters in New York or Washington, D.C by Cuban United Nations staff and Cuban experts or national authorities is complex and expensive. Because of the lack of regular direct flights from Cuba to New York or Washington, D.C., longer and costlier alternative routes through third countries need to be booked; and the planning of trips involving Cuban nationals requires extra time because of the visa process. This context negatively impacts on professional exchanges and partnership- building in key areas of development.
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
[Original: English] [18 June 2014] Cuba is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or the 1967 Protocol thereto. As such, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) receives and decides on asylum claims under its mandate and provides assistance to the refugee population. Thus far, Cuba has maintained its de facto policy of non-refoulement and of protection and assistance in the education and health sectors to refugees recognized under the UNHCR mandate, but does not offer the possibility of local integration. Therefore, and in the absence of prospects for voluntary return in most cases, the only durable solution for refugees in Cuba is resettlement sought by UNHCR in third countries.
United Nations Children’s Fund
[Original: English] [30 May 2014] The economic, commercial and financial embargo continues to affect the living conditions, education and development of Cuban children, adolescents and their families. It also disrupts the sustainability of the progress made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Health
According to the Ministry of Health, the health sector continues to be affected by the embargo because of the need to acquire medical supplies in markets located in faraway places, as well as the use of intermediaries, which leads to an increase in the prices of expendable materials, medicines, reagents, spare parts for diagnosis and treatment, medical instruments and equipment. As a recent example of limitations imposed by the embargo, the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene has experienced difficulties in the detection of aflatoxins (toxins with carcinogenic effect in contaminated food yeast) owing to the lack of non-United States suppliers for the necessary detection materials. In the framework of the country programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supports the procurement of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines for children, as well as specialized medical equipment. Owing to limited access to
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markets, supplies are procured from Europe, thereby increasing the costs of such assistance.
Education
The embargo affects the quality of education by increasing freight costs for the purchase of school supplies in distant markets. This has limited the acquisition of equipment and materials for physics, chemistry and biology laboratories, as well as the renovation and purchase of computer parts and sports equipment, which are necessary to meet the demand of the secondary and pre-university schools. The Ministry of Education also reports that the scarcity of English books, literature and specialized dictionaries hinders the development and training of language teachers, as well as of science, information technology and technical professionals. At the level of technical-professional education, the country faces limitations in renewing the machines and tools that are necessary for practical training of students and teachers. Furthermore, the limited opportunities for academic exchanges with universities and research centres in the United States hinder the development of professors and school teachers, as well as the flow of scientific information, including the dissemination of results from research or scientific work in general.
Impact of the embargo on the country programme of cooperation
The commercial limitations mentioned above also apply to the supplies that UNICEF needs to import for the achievement of results, causing an increase in prices and longer purchasing processes (up to 120 days). It is estimated that access to the United States market would also reduce freight-related and logistical expenses. In addition, it should be noted that current restrictions on bank transfers from and to Cuba using United States dollars are estimated by UNICEF to increase transaction costs by up to 3 per cent.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
[Original: English] [3 July 2014] Paragraph 25 of the Doha Mandate (see TD/500/Add.1), which was adopted at UNCTAD XIII in April 2012, reads as follows: “States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries, and that affect commercial interests. These actions hinder market access, investments and freedom of transit and the well-being of the populations of affected countries. Meaningful trade liberalization will also require addressing non-tariff measures including, inter alia, unilateral measures, where they may act as unnecessary trade barriers.”
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Economic and trade trends in Cuba
The embargo has had significant negative effects on the Cuban economy and on the standard of living of Cuban citizens. As reported by the Government of Cuba (see A/68/116, chap. II), the economic damage caused by the embargo amounted to $1.2 trillion as at April 2013 if the depreciation of the United States dollar against the price of gold on the international market was taken into account. The losses are attributed to the additional costs incurred by the Government of Cuba and Cuban enterprises and citizens in obtaining goods, services, and finance. In 2012, the Cuban economy grew by 3 per cent, and the services sector generated 81 per cent of gross domestic product. In the food and health sectors, which are the most sensitive areas for the Cuban population and their living conditions, the embargo caused a financial impact of $106 million and $39 million, respectively, during the period from May 2012 to April 2013 owing to the higher transaction costs. Cuba is a net food importing country, and due to the rise in fuel and food prices on the world market ensuring domestic food security required major financial sacrifices, while the overall increase in commodity prices has not benefitted those giving greater weight to Cuba’s exports. The embargo also obstructed access to state-of-the-art therapies particularly affecting Cuban children. The embargo has also been a serious constraint for advancing science and technology in Cuba owing to the United States’ significant position in these areas. Cuba’s inability to connect to United States Internet service providers has contributed significantly to its low level of Internet access, which in tur n adversely affects all economic and social sectors in the country. Furthermore, the negative impact of the extraterritorial application of the embargo is substantial, as United States firms are frequently involved in international mergers and business partnerships. The embargo can also affect firms in third countries, which do not have any United States capital involvement if they have economic or financial relations with Cuba. Hence, this extraterritorial application has serious negative impact on firms in third countries, as well as Cuban companies. In this regard, the General Assembly, in its resolution 68/6, expressed concern about the continued promulgation and application of the 1996 “Helm - Burton Act”. The main trade partners of Cuba are Venezuela, the Netherlands, Canada, China and Spain for export, and Venezuela, China, Spain, Brazil and the United States for import.14 As shown by the trade data provided in table 1, the trends in Cuba’s trade in merchandise in 2013 did not change significantly from the previous year. UNCTAD estimates that Cuba exported merchandise for a value of $5.9 billion and imported merchandise for a value of $14.5 billion, which represents an increase of $216 million and an increase of $85 million, respectively, from 2012. The deficit in trade in merchandise was of $8.6 billion in 2013, which represents a decrease of $100 million from 2012. The main categories of export items in 2013 were “Ores and metals”, which accounted for $3.7 billion or 62 per cent of the total, followed by “All food items” and “manufactured goods”. As for the destination of Cuba’s
______14 Mark P. Sullivan, “Cuba: U.S. Policy and Issues for the 113th Congress”, Congressional Research Service, 29 January 2014, pp. 17 and 18. Available from http://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/ R43024.pdf.
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exports, the European Union was the major buyer of Cuban merchandise, accounting for about 36 per cent of the total. The main categories of import items in 2013 were “manufactured goods” and “fuels”, accounting for $7.1 billion or 49 per cent of the total for the former and $5.2 billion or 36 per cent, followed by “All food items”. Latin America and the Caribbean were the largest suppliers of items imported by Cuba, accounting for one half of the total. The Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 allows United States exports of agricultural products to Cuba with many restrictions and requirements which limit the potential growth of the exports. Cuba’s agricultural imports from the United States reached an estimated $418 million in 2013. The services sector has been the major source of foreign exchange earnings in Cuba. The trends in Cuba’s trade in services in 2013 were similar to those of the previous year. UNCTAD estimates that Cuba exported $12.4 billion and imported $2.5 billion in services in 2013; the resulting surplus of $9.9 billion represented a decrease of $467 million from 2012. The category of “Other services” took the major shares of exports, followed by “Travel”. The category of “Other services” includes communication, construction, insurance, financial services, computer and information, royalties, other business services, as well as personal, cultural and recreational services. Disaggregated data for these services are not available. Tourism continues to be one of the main driving forces of the Cuban economy and development. The Government of Cuba set a target of 3 million international arrivals for 2013, and 2.85 million people visited Cuba in that year.15 However, the embargo severely limits its potential contribution to the Cuban economy. In 2013 tourism revenues in Cuba reached $1.8 billion.16 It is estimated that the tourism sector could earn an additional $2 billion if there were no embargo. Also, lack of access to the major information systems owned by American firms for reservations and travel advertisement is a serious constraint to developing international tourism in Cuba. The embargo has affec ted all areas of the transport sector including port and airport services and road construction. The impact is estimated at $470 million. The United States relaxed remittance restrictions in January 2011. Remittances from relatives living abroad, including in the United States, are also a significant source of hard currency for Cuba and are estimated to be between $1.4 and $2 billion annually.17 Remittances will remain the main source of financing for capital spending by small private businesses in Cuba.18 With regard to the import of services, “transport” was the dominant category. As to the foreign investment, it has been predicted that while the foreign investment law promulgated in 2014 in Cuba would encourage more inward foreign
______15 Economist Intelligence Unit, Cuba Country Report, April 2014, p. 20. 16 Caribbean News Now!, “Cuba reports increased tourism revenues in 2013”,19 February 2014. Available from http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/headline-Cuba-reports-increased-tourism- revenues-in-2013-19945.html. 17 Mark P. Sullivan, “Cuba: U.S. Policy and Issues for the 113th Congress” (see footnote 5 above), p. 12. 18 Economist Intelligence Unit, Cuba Country Report, April 2014, p. 6.
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direct investment, inflows are expected to remain well below potential due to the embargo.19
Developments in the United States
No significant actions were taken during the reporting period concerning the embargo. A number of legislative proposals were made during the 112th United States Congress. Some would have the United States lift or ease the embargo, while others would have it strengthen further.
Conclusion
The embargo has continued to have a severe impact on the production, trade and welfare of Cuba, impeding its development. Related measures impose severe economic, commercial and financial restrictions on Cuba, and these come at a cost for the country. The substantial losses incurred owing to the embargo include the foregone opportunities to strengthen infrastructure, build an efficient and vibrant economy and improve the standard of living of Cuban citizens. In particular, given the country’s potential for developing knowledge-intensive and high-value-added industries, the inability to conduct trade with the United States has profound implications. The extraterritorial application of the United States embargo continues to affect citizens in third countries and impedes their ability to trade with and invest in Cuba. Finally, the citizens of the United States too are affected by the embargo because they are unable to interact with Cuba in the economic, academic and social fields.
Table 1 Merchandise exports and imports by Cuba (Millions of United States dollars)
Partner Commodity group 2009a 2010a 2011a 2012a 2013a
Exports European Union (27 States) All food items 333 396 425 522 600 Ores and metal 445 892 1 411 1 491 1 461 Fuels 5 3 9 10 9 Manufactured goods 26 39 55 56 69
Total 809 1 330 1 899 2 078 2 139
Latin America and the All food items 18 39 26 34 45 Caribbean Ores and metal 13 25 25 24 26 Fuels 30 50 52 69 87 Manufactured goods 346 401 496 585 601
Total 407 515 599 712 760
______19 Ibid., p. 7.
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Partner Commodity group 2009a 2010a 2011a 2012a 2013a
United States All food items – – – – – Ores and metal – – – – – Fuels – – – – – Manufactured goods – – – – –
Total – – – – –
Rest of the world All food items 476 690 804 753 719 Ores and metal 1 366 2 369 2 411 2 036 2 181 Fuels 23 25 37 36 22 Manufactured goods 28 35 38 46 55
Total 1 893 3 120 3 291 2 871 2 978
World All food items 827 1 125 1 256 1 309 1 364 Ores and metal 1 824 3 287 3 846 3 550 3 669 Fuels 58 78 99 115 118 Manufactured goods 399 476 589 687 726 Total 3 109 4 966 5 789 5 661 5 877
Imports European Union (27 States) All food items 283 405 584 564 586 Ores and metal 33 36 48 45 41 Fuels 22 32 97 80 74 Manufactured goods 1 812 1 929 2 408 2 471 2 624
Total 2 150 2 402 3 138 3 160 3 325
Latin America and the All food items 388 578 701 732 691 Caribbean Ores and metal 29 58 18 40 37 Fuels 2 904 3 971 5 133 5 177 5 083 Manufactured goods 728 841 1 115 1 196 1 129
Total 4 048 5 449 6 967 7 145 6 940
United States All food items 671 448 442 565 418 Ores and metal – – – – – Fuels – – – – – Manufactured goods 18 14 13 12 13
Total 689 462 455 577 431
Rest of the world All food items 175 202 240 226 306 Ores and metal 40 70 77 77 69 Fuels 33 34 55 57 51 Manufactured goods 2 484 2 880 3 127 3 139 3 342
Total 2 732 3 186 3 499 3 498 3 3769
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Partner Commodity group 2009a 2010a 2011a 2012a 2013a
World All food items 1 517 1 634 1 967 2 087 2 001 Ores and metal 102 163 143 162 147 Fuels 2 959 4 038 5 284 5 314 5 209 Manufactured goods 5 042 5 664 6 664 6 818 7 109
Total 9 619 11 499 14 058 14 381 14 466
Source: UNCTAD secretariat calculations, based on the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database and the International Monetary Fund Direction of Trade Statistics databases. a Estimates.
Table 2 Service exports and imports by Cuba (Millions of United States dollars)
Flow Service category 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Exports Transport 1 437 1 772 1 913 1 928 2 219 Travel 2 051 2 187 2 318 2 447 2 371 Other services 4 956 6 253 6 755 7 409 7 775
Total 8 444 10 212 10 986 11 783 12 365
Imports Transport 965 1 154 1 424 1 516 1 429 Travel 212 230 236 260 315 Other services 496 538 552 612 735
Total 1 673 1 923 2 213 2 388 2 478
Source: UNCTAD and WTO estimates, based on information found in national sources.
United Nations Development Programme
[Original: English] [30 May 2014] Cuba has maintained a high human development index ranking, having attained 59th place among 187 nations and territories in 2012. In terms of the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals, Cuba is a developing country with many of the Goals achieved, some long before they had been agreed upon in an international forum. The main challenge is to maintain the quality of the social services and sustain the Goals that have already been achieved. In 2013 Cuba was recognized by FAO as 1 of 15 countries that had successfully reduced hunger before 2015. The Cuban development model is changing. The document entitled “Lineamientos de la política económica y social” (“Social and Economic Policy Guidelines”) was approved during the Communist Party Congress in April 2011. The Cuban Parliament also agreed to support and approve the document during its
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regular session in August 2011. The “Lineamientos” are now the basic guidelines for the reform. The guidelines are innovative within the national context, and represent a challenge for the country. The driving force behind them is the objective of accelerating the economy, recognizing that the local level — mainly the local governments — has an important role in the forthcoming decentralization framework. Cuba initiated in late 2013 the implementation process for the exchange rate and monetary unification which represents a major challenge for the country. This complex process requires rigorous preparation and implementation in order to address the impacts on the population. In this context, universal social services and social development remain a priority for the Government and will continue to be a concern of the State while the traditional social protection network is adjusted to ensure more effective focus and sustainability. Guideline No. 112 calls for the promotion of multilateral collaboration, with direct reference to the United Nations system. In that regard, the United Nations system is supporting national authorities in addressing emerging issues and challenges. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been cooperating with national authorities in the following priority areas, among others: promoting food security; supporting the national policy to reduce levels of imports; supporting local governments and their economic development strategies, particularly those related to value chains; introducing and applying measures for adaptation to climate change, especially in food production; contributing to sustainable development by promoting the sustainable use of natural resources through knowledge and technology transfer into productive sector policies and a more effective disaster risk reduction strategy; and supporting the national response to HIV/AIDS and non-discrimination based on sexual diversity. The UNDP partnership with Cuban authorities is based on a long-standing relationship. UNDP has supported major local and national development strategies and policies for over 40 years. At present, cooperation is carried out within the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for 2014-2018 and the UNDP country programme document in Cuba. The country programme document was approved by the Executive Board and is fully aligned with the UNDP Strategic Plan for 2014-2017. The Development Assistance Framework and country programme document formulation processes were based on participatory mechanisms that included consultations with a wide range of national and local stakeholders, including government institutions, academic and research centres, universities, youth and women’s organizations and local governments, among others. Both documents address identified priority areas of cooperation contributing to the implementation of the social and economic policy guidelines, in areas that are, at times, innovative within the national context and have a high strategic relevance in view of the changes to the Cuban development model. Fostering sustainable human development will continue to be at the heart of the cooperation programme, which will promote South-South cooperation and technology and knowledge transfer. The main areas being targeted are sustainable economic development, food security, quality and sustainability of social services, including respect for diversit y, use of
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renewable energy, strengthening of local governments; and environmental sustainability and disaster risk management. Gender and youth will be cross-cutting themes.
Specific effects of the United States embargo
The situation in 2013 remained very similar to that of previous years. The embargo affects the external economic relations of Cuba, and its impact can be observed in all spheres of the country’s social and economic activities. It affects opportunities for national and local development and creates economic hardship for the population. The embargo has an impact on the population’s most vulnerable groups and on human development in general. According to official estimates, the cumulative direct and indirect losses to the Cuban economy due to the embargo from the early 1960s until April 2013 amount to $157.327 billion. The embargo has limited Cuba’s access to development credits granted by international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, which has narrowed the possibility of obtaining resources to provide financial support for Cuba’s national and/or local development plans. The travel of Cuban experts and researchers to the United States in the framework of cooperation agreements has also been limited owing to the process to obtain visas. It has also been difficult to establish partnerships and to collaborate with United States universities and research institutes, and to promote exchanges among experts from the two countries. The embargo has had negative consequences for external cooperation initiatives, creating many difficulties for programme and project implementation because of trade restrictions or prohibitions on purchasing inputs from United States companies and their subsidiaries established in the United States or in other countries. In addition, the embargo places restrictions on shipping line companies whose vessels dock in Cuban harbours. Once these companies sail into Cuban ports, they cannot enter into United States ports. This significantly reduces the number of shipping companies that include Cuba in their routes, limiting the availability of transportation and delaying the loading of goods. Costs associated with intermediaries and long-distance transportation have also had a negative impact on the ability to access key inputs and on the final cost of imported project goods and equipment. Likewise, products for development projects have to be purchased and imported from more distant places at much higher costs. This situation has had a direct impact on all UNDP development projects and emergency activities, both because it increases the transaction costs of procedures to obtain project inputs and because it increases the cost of transporting the imported goods. Finding available shipping companies requires additional time. As a result, projects have been affected by significant delays in the purchase and distribution of project inputs, which has had a negative impact on the timely implementation of project activities and results. This situation was particularly worrisome in the case of projects related to food security and local development, given the lengthy process to access and import agricultural inputs such as irrigation systems, machinery and agricultural tools. I n general, procurement processes take longer, delaying project activities and their
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results. As a consequence, financial proposals and new projects have to consider in their designs an extended period of time for procurement processes and they also have to allocate additional financial resources to cover incremental costs that would otherwise be allocated for development activities. These costs are covered by the funds provided by donors. This situation also affects computer technology acquisitions; for example, the United States company Planson did not obtain a licence from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for export to Cuba.
Effects on projects
The embargo also affects projects supporting the recovery in Santiago de Cuba province after Hurricane Sandy, since the projects must rely on long and complex processes. In particularly, a risk prevention project, which began its implementation in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, aimed at strengthening the capacity of early warning hydro-meteorological systems, was affected as the OTT Hydromet company was unable to sell specialized equipment (monitoring sensors for hydrological stations). The supplier noted that the company’s products had United States components, explaining that, since it already had received a denial from OFAC in recent years, it would not be able to ship the goods to Cuba. The projects financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, of which UNDP is the principal recipient, provide medicines, reagents and laboratory equipment for the benefit of 16,479 people of all ages living with HIV/AIDS. They are purchased from third countries and from secondary suppliers at prices significantly higher than those of comparable products sold on the international market. Even when UNDP long-term corporate agreements with international suppliers apply, the embargo hinders purchases of products that are manufactured or have a component manufactured in the United States. In these cases, the providers have to obtain a licence from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury to deliver services or products to projects in Cuba, a bureaucratic process that takes much time and effort. The Global Fund approved the purchase of GeneXpert IV equipment for a Cuban project on 21 May, 2013. This is high-tech equipment that the World Health Organization is promoting for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis, multi-resistant tuberculosis. This equipment is especially necessary for people living with HIV/AIDS or people at risk of becoming sick with tuberculosis. Cepheid is the only supplier authorized by the Global Fund. However, the supplier could not sell the equipment until the licence was approved. Notification of the licence was obtained in April 2014, almost a year later, which delayed the benefit to patients in need of this important equipment. The embargo also affects the day-to-day work of the UNDP office in Cuba, placing it at a disadvantage compared with other country offices. There are limitations to the benefits that could be gained from corporate long-term agreements to effectively implement and monitor development and emergency activities. For example, although there is a signed long-term agreement with Toyota Gibraltar, this company cannot supply spare parts of United States origin. This situation raises transaction costs by at least 15 per cent owing to the participation of intermediaries and higher costs for information and communications technology equipment and services and access to software licences. Access to Internet services is also affected
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negatively, thus limiting the effective use of corporate platforms and increasing the amount of time required to perform online processes and activities. The UNDP Cuba office is also affected by not being able to use corporate accounts with United States banks or the United States dollar as a currency of payment. The office has to take additional administrative measures to carry out programme-related financial operations; for example, it has to use third-country banks, which results in higher costs to the office and its projects and a heavier administrative burden. The related increment costs have been covered by UNDP and project funds from other donors, therefore using resources that could otherwise have been used for development activities. Another way in which UNDP is affected by the embargo is that national staff required to travel to UNDP headquarters in New York have to request their visas well in advance, although this situation has improved of late. Similar situations have occurred when Government officials have had to attend meetings at headquarters. Furthermore, longer, more expensive alternative air routes, through third countries have to be booked because there are no direct flights from Havana to New York. The negative impacts of higher costs and difficulties in obtaining a visa on time are also experienced by Cuban authorities and experts who have to travel to United Nations Headquarters and to other venues in the United States for meetings.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
[Original: English] [26 May 2014] UNESCO is a specialized technical agency within the United Nations system; it is not a funding agency. It is difficult, therefore, to quantify the damage of the embargo on programmes run by UNESCO within its fields of competence: education, science, culture and communication and information. However, from a qualitative point of view, the embargo continues to have an impact on UNESCO fields of competence and the following observations can be made. The situation has remained relatively unchanged since 2013. In the area of education, the embargo continues to have an impact on the availability of educational resources owing to trade restrictions that prevent the purchase of such resources at more competitive prices. In the area of science, the embargo continues to limit the ability to purchase up-to-date scientific materials. In the area of culture, the embargo continues to have an impact on the ability to obtain historic preservation materials and supplies for cultural industries and on cooperation with United States institutions that might otherwise collaborate, including through exchanges. In the area of communications and information, Cuba remains unable to acquire underwater fibre-optic cables from United States firms, software licences and certain equipment. Although there are more possibilities for academic and cultural exchanges, these continue to be limited by visa policies that make travel, including for study, difficult. The embargo also affects the operations of the UNESCO office in Havana and programme-related activities implemented by the Cuban National Commission for UNESCO, including with regard to the receipt of funds and bank transfers to service providers, which results in additional costs for the organization in terms of
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aeroplane tickets, communications etc. Staff and their families are also affected personally, for example with respect to bank transfers and international communications.
United Nations Environment Programme
[Original: English] [27 May 2014] From the environmental perspective, the embargo imposed by the United States affects not only Cuba but also the Caribbean subregion and the United States itself. Conservation efforts in the Caribbean Island Hotspot20 are fragmented and incomplete, and lack a necessary common strategy since Cuba is excluded from several of the most important projects in the subregion owing to the fact that those projects are being implemented with United States funds. For example, Cuba cannot participate in Global Environment Facility projects such as the Caribbean Challenge Initiative, a large-scale initiative that aims to protect 20 per cent of the marine and coastal habitats of participating Caribbean countries by 2020. This affects not only Cuba, which cannot benefit from the projects, but also the entire Caribbean, as the subregion cannot be approached as a whole. The embargo also significantly affects the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems shared by Cuba and the United States. For the proper management of such natural resources, including migratory birds and marine life, common conservation strategies and agreements between the Governments and the agencies and organizations of both countries should be in place; this is not possible because of the embargo. At present, there is an environmental agreement on migratory birds between Canada, Mexico and the United States, but there are no agreements between Cuba and the United States despite the fact that the number of migratory birds travelling between these two countries is very large, as with the above - mentioned North American countries. The embargo eliminates the possibility of implementing common strategies for the integrated management of the environment and the natural resources that surround these two countries and progress cannot be made in the absence of agreements and dialogue between the two Governments to focus on their shared environments. Much of the work of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is also carried out through South-South cooperation that involves knowledge transfer, capacity-building and technical support between Cuba and other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean by way of training events, capacity-building activities and workshops, among others. UNEP implements a number of projects in Cuba, some of which are affected by the embargo. The Caribbean Biological Corridor, for example, which is being
______20 The Caribbean Hotspot consists mainly of three large groups: the Bahamas, the Lesser Antilles, and the Greater Antilles (Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cuba, and Hispaniola, which includes the Dominican Republic and Haiti), with Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola constituting 90 per cent of the land area.
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implemented through an agreement between Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, with Jamaica as a Permanent Observer, is affected in terms of the gathering and processing of remotely sensed and spatial data. Cuba’s lack of access to technology and equipment may hamper harmonization among the three countries involved. The continuing embargo translates into missed opportunities for environmental cooperation in the region. Other examples of the impact of the embargo are outlined below: (a) As United States companies are not allowed to sell equipment, technology and other products to Cuban companies, Cubans are forced to turn to other markets, which means increased cargo travel times and, consequently, increased carbon emissions associated with transport; (b) Cuba continues to increase energy efficiency under its energy revolution programme and to promote recycling and other green technologies. The aim is to decrease oil consumption and carbon dioxide emissions and to achieve general resource efficiency. However, United States companies or their subsidiaries in other countries are not allowed to sell to Cuba technologies that could enhance these efforts. The same is true for non-United States companies wishing to sell products that contain parts or components provided by United States companies or their subsidiaries and that could facilitate progress in this area;21 (c) Cuba is one of the world’s leaders in biological research, with thousands of graduates from the country’s 10 universities and institutes devoted to working in ecology producing important technologies and products, including for applications in biotechnology. Cuba also possesses significant knowledge in natural resources conservation. However, these technologies or products cannot be sold in the United States; (d) The participation of Cuban experts in environmental and sustainable development conferences and training activities is often hampered by travel restrictions and thousands of dollars are spent on more expensive and often longer travel routes; (e) The embargo also restricts Cuba’s access to information from leading scientific and technical journals and publications, as well as Internet access to specialized companies and institutions in the United States. This limits access by Cuban academics, engineers and students to cutting-edge developments in energy and environmental sciences that could increase their capacity to implement sound environmental technologies. Connectivity restrictions also limit Cuba’s ability to implement and comply with certain environmental treaties that require the constant use of Internet; (f) Cuba also has limited bandwidth owing to the embargo, which affects the participation of Cubans in Internet based conference sites and Webinar platforms to attend virtual meetings and training sessions, which are increasingly being implemented to decrease travel and other costs; ______21 In the context of remotely sensed data as mentioned above, gathering imagery for the Caribbean Biologic Corridor, lack of access to technology and equipment may hamper the harmonization required for the three countries involved as such devices are not made available to Cuba. Project vehicles also require additional costs as United States-manufactured units cannot be procured.
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(g) Both the United States and Cuba have an interest in oil exploration and exploitation in shared marine areas. Joint environmental impact studies and environmentally friendly methods of operation are currently not possible as a result of the embargo. The 2010 oil spill underlines this issue, which should be addressed as a matter of urgency; (h) Both countries are located in regions with critical biological corridors that could benefit from full regional cooperation; (i) The United States and Cuba are located in a region where disasters, particularly hurricanes, are seriously affecting ecosystems and populations. Both countries are working to better prevent and prepare for disasters. In this sense, cooperation would benefit both countries, as well as other countries in the Caribbean; (j) Another consequence of the embargo is the limited access to international loans and international financial institutions, which affects Cuba ’s ability to move towards sustainability. This has led to the general claim by Cuba that the embargo is hampering its sustainability efforts. Eliminating obstacles to a normal exchange between the two countries would contribute to making progress with regard to the sustainable management of shared ecosystems, improving cooperation between scientific and academic communities and increasing the contribution made by both countries in the fight against climate change, in ecosystem management and in the prevention of natural disasters and accidents. It would also benefit countries where the United States and Cuba have cooperative programmes.
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
[Original: Spanish] [21 May 2014] The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has been working in Cuba since 2001 and has had an office there since 2005. The fundamental purpose of its presence in the country is to assist the Government of Cuba with the implementation of its priorities and development agenda that are in line with the priorities and mandates of UN-Habitat relating to housing and human settlements. UN-Habitat is supporting the implementation in Cuba of several projects whose priority is reflected in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework and the programme agreed upon between UN-Habitat and the Government of Cuba. Those projects include, in particular, national and municipal planning and urban management projects, others relating to housing and urban recovery in the wake of hurricanes and assistance with changes in the housing and habitat sector. Execution of all these development projects has been hampered by the international repercussions of the political, economic and commercial embargo on Cuba, which restricts the country’s access to international markets, which are of the utmost importance for ensuring access to inputs, equipment and technology.
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United Nations Industrial Development Organization
[Original: English] [28 May 2014] The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has implemented several technical cooperation programmes in the country aimed at assisting the Government of Cuba in further strengthening its industrial capabilities and competitiveness in priority industrial sectors, in line with the new political, economic and social strategies announced in 2011. These programmes include: • Renewable and energy efficiency; • Supporting the fulfilment of international protocols (mainly the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer); • Supporting the strengthening of agro-industrial value chains; • Strengthening South-South cooperation in areas related to industrial development. UNIDO is also participating in the ongoing United Nations Development Assistance Framework for Cuba for 2013-2017.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
[Original: English] [29 May 2014] The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) notes that the Caribbean region continues to be confronted with a number of serious challenges related to organized crime and the trafficking of illicit drugs. Together with other Caribbean countries, Cuba finds itself between the world’s largest cocaine producers in Latin America and the world’s largest drug consumers, namely, North America and Europe. UNODC is strengthening its presence in the Caribbean in order to support Member States in their efforts to counter these challenges, and expects to strengthen its cooperation with Cuba in the context of its new initiatives for the region. Cuba is covered by the UNODC Regional Office for Central America and the Caribbean, located in Panama, which initiated its activities in September 2009. In April 2014 UNODC launched the regional programme 2014-2016 in support of the Caribbean Community crime and security strategy. Although Cuba is not a member of CARICOM, it is included in the regional programme, particularly through synergies with the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, of which Cuba is a member. The programme consists of five subprogrammes, which not only reflect the range of thematic areas covered by UNODC mandates but which also directly target the strategic goals of the Caribbean Community crime and security strategy: (a) countering transnational organized crime, illicit trafficking and terrorism; (b) countering corruption and money laundering; (b) preventing crime and reforming criminal justice; (c) drug use, prevention and treatment and HIV/AIDS; and (e) research, trend analysis and forensics. It has a total budget of $11.7 million.
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In the context of the regional programme, UNODC is working towards re-establishing a presence in the Caribbean, possibly in Barbados, pending funding availability. The strengthened UNODC presence in the Caribbean, working in close coordination with regional and national counterparts, will also benefit Cuba. Cuba has effectively cooperated with UNODC in the areas of its mandates and this contribution has always been positively assessed by both parties. Cuba is a State party to the United Nations Convention against Corruption and was recently reviewed by Brazil and Guatemala. After a review process that was recognized by the reviewing experts as having been notably cooperative and efficient, the final country report was launched by the Secretary of the Conference of the States Parties in Havana in September 2013. The Government further made use of its right to voluntarily publish the entire country report on the homepage of UNODC. Cuba is also playing an essential role as a reviewer of Nicaragua, Guyana and Saint Lucia. For UNODC it is important to promote resource mobilization to include Cuba in the implementation of the UNODC activities. Such resources will be invested in the strategic areas as outlined in the Regional Programme, thereby contributing to reducing the vulnerability of Cuba and the Caribbean countries to drug trafficking and organized crime. UNODC continues to proactively search for resources to fund and expand its operations in the Caribbean, including in Cuba.
United Nations Population Fund
[Original: English] [7 July 2014]
Despite the easing of travel restrictions and the lessening of the embargo, there is evidence that since 2012, controls related to international financial transactions, including payments and the transfer of funds to United Nations agencies and other international organizations, have been tightened. The economic, commercial and financial embargo also continues to have negative effects on the situation and fundamental rights of women and youth in Cuba. Its adverse effects were felt in the shortage of supplies and services for maternal and reproductive health. In this context, the UNFPA country programme continues to face difficulties, in particular with regard to the acquisition and purchase of commodities, equipment and medicines related to reproductive health that are produced by the United States or covered by United States patents. Reproductive health commodities and materials in general have to be purchased in other regions, which leads to an increase in costs owing to more expensive transportation and freight charges.
Universal Postal Union
[Original: French] [5 May 2014] As a specialized agency of the United Nations, the Universal Postal Union is not directly involved in implementation of General Assembly resolution 68/8, which refers only to member States.
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The Universal Postal Union has always considered Cuba a full member, with the same rights and obligations as other members. It is to be noted, moreover, that in 2013, Cuba benefited specifically from grants given to staff of the Cuban postal service to enable them to take part in training sessions, such as the seminar on sustainable development organized in Ecuador and the workshop on compensation concerning postal payment services in Uruguay. Cuba was re-elected as a member of the Union’s Postal Operations Council at the last Universal Postal Congress, held in 2012, and it sits on several committees and working groups of the Council.
World Food Programme
[Original: English] [6 May 2014] Over the last 50 years Cuba has established some of the most comprehensive social protection programmes in the world. These programmes have allowed Cuba to largely eradicated hunger and poverty. Cuba has become one of the most successful countries in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and is ranked 59 on the 2013 UNDP Human Development Index. Maintaining progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals is a priority for the country. Cuba faced a severe economic crisis in the 1990s. This crisis has had an enduring impact on food security and nutrition. The global financial crisis, frequent natural disasters including the worst drought in 100 years (2003-2005), high global food prices, limited access to credit, low productivity, and the United States embargo have further exacerbated the food security situation in the country. WFP has been working in Cuba since 1963 to support the Government promoting food security and nutrition in the country. The Programme has been cooperating with national authorities in supporting Cuba’s national programme against anaemia; supporting food-based social safety net programmes; and supporting national response to natural disasters, the most recent of which was hurricane Sandy which hit the country in October 2012. WFP has been assisting all children under 2 years of age in the five eastern provinces of the country, where the prevalence of anaemia, is higher by distributing a blended flour of soy bean and corn enriched with micro-nutrients. WFP also set up a new production line for fortified cereals enriched with micronutrients. This helped create local capacity to produce fortified cereals for young children, reducing Cuba’s dependence on imports. The distribution of the fortified cereal has been complemented with a wide range of training and communication on nutrition. An integrated strategy was developed by the Ministry of Public Health, the Federation of Cuban Women, UNICEF, the Pan American Health Organization and WFP to improve household consumption patterns to address anaemia. Mothers, health workers and food distribution personnel were trained and a social communication campaign with the goal of improving the eating habits in the homes was launched. The handling and storage conditions of fortified blended cereals have also been improved through adjustments in warehouses and bodegas (food distribution points). The project also reinforced the food and nutrition surveillance system by strengthening the capacities of units responsible for nutritional monitoring from municipal to national level.
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As part of the emergency response of the United Nations system to hurricane Sandy, in 2013 WFP distributed food to families in the eastern part of the country affected by it, targeting 110,000 vulnerable and food-insecure people in both rural and urban areas of the most affected eastern provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguín and Guantánamo. Food assistance was provided to the most vulnerable groups, including children 6-59 months, pregnant women, people over 65 and primary school children. It also included support for the rehabilitation of the port in Santiago de Cuba as well as the recovery of food storage capacities in the three provinces. WFP also established a tripartite agreement with the Governments of Brazil and Cuba to support the Government of Cuba in sustaining its safety net programmes, and avoid deterioration in the nutritional status of more than 3 million people (children under seven years of age and elderly people). Cuba is undergoing a significant transition of its economic model and social programmes, as defined in the document entitled “Lineamientos de la política económica y social” (“Social and Economic Policy Guidelines”) which was approved during the Communist Party Congress in April 2011. The guidelines envisage accelerating the economy while ensuring the sustainability of the existing social protection programmes. In this context, food security-related social protection systems, the decentralization of the decision-making process regarding food resources, and the adoption of a new management model for agriculture focused on reducing food imports are critical processes. In 2013, WFP started a strategic review of its approach in Cuba to address the food security priorities as defined by the Government of Cuba as well as the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for 2014-2018, which defines food and nutritional security as one of the four pillars of United Nations cooperation in Cuba. In this context a new Country Programme is being finalized, focusing primarily on capacity-building using focused transfers to meet critical food and nutrition needs and to strengthen the overall food-related safety nets in Cuba. The programme will support national and local authorities in the shift to more sustainable and targeted social protection systems. This will be pursued through three linked objectives, which will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Development Assistance Framework: (a) Support food security and nutrition-related social protection programmes; (b) Strengthen links between social protection systems and agricultural value chains; and (c) Strengthen community resilience, preparedness, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation capacities at local level.
Effects of the United States embargo
Conditions related to the embargo have not evolved in any positive way over the past year. The United States embargo continues to have a negative impact on the Cuban economy as well as on the operational conditions of WFP. The high cost of importing agricultural equipment and inputs is a key factor limiting high agriculture productivity in Cuba. Most Cuban farmers can only access a limited amount of agricultural inputs; new technology and equipment too are hard to come by. As a result, Cuba is unable to produce all the food it requires, which forces the
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Government to import a significant proportion of food commodities to meet the requirements of its national food-based social safety net programmes. This represents a significant budgetary burden for the country, threatening those most dependent on social safety nets and imposing significant challenges to food security in Cuba. Limitations imposed by the embargo restrict the ability of WFP to procure services and products from United States-based companies or companies that process payments through United States subsidiaries, directly affecting projects and the running of the WFP office. The procurement and shipment of food and non-food commodities too was delayed owing to the above-mentioned logistical challenges. Because of the embargo, vessels are obliged to make a stopover in a neighbouring country for transhipment. This causes delays and additional costs, which also affect WFP shipments. The ongoing work of WFP in Cuba is also affected by difficulties in purchasing equipment at more competitive prices. For example, WFP was not able to find information technology equipment for its offices locally. Regionally some companies were not able to supply it. For example, a Panama-based company offered very competitive prices for computers but could not sell them to Cuba because it was a subsidiary of a United States company. These obstacles also applied to the purchase of spare car parts and office stationary, increasing regular operating costs. Moreover, the cost of voice and data communications was abnormally high because of having to avoid United States infrastructure.
World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization
[Original: Spanish] [26 June 2014]
Impact on the population, the health sector and individual health
According to different Government of Cuba sources, the accumulated financial impact of the economic, commercial and financial embargo on the health sector totalled US$ 2,464.6 million by end-March 2014. This figure was arrived at by adding to last year’s accumulated total the impact for the period between April 2013 and March 2014 in the amount of US$ 66,524,371, as reported by the national authorities consulted. To ensure the sustainability of health care services for the Cuban population in the face of the financial, economic and commercial embargo against Cuba imposed by the United States of America, mitigating measures were adopted that involved having to acquire medical inputs in far-away countries at greater cost. In some cases Cuba had to do without certain technologies given the ban on providers selling U.S. - made products to Cuba or the ban on scientific exchanges between Cuban professionals and those of other countries. The cost increase stemmed mainly from the need to acquire medicine, reagents, replacement parts for diagnostic and treatment equipment, medical instruments and other inputs in distant markets, which often meant going through intermediaries, thereby further raising costs.
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The negative effects of the embargo, in the area of health, are multiplied by their impact on the cost and availability of products used on a daily basis and on the provision of basic social services, thereby lowering the population’s standard of living. The restrictions imposed by the embargo have been exacerbated by the current global economic crisis, which has also hit Cuba. Public health is also indirectly impaired by the obstacles to investment in infrastructure: housing, roads, water and sanitation. It is more directly impacted by the dearth of resources needed to counter epidemiological threats. The embargo on Cuba hampers the development of public health by not allowing access to loans or grants from such international financial institutions as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank and by restricting access to philanthropic and U.S. civil society donations. Generally, Cuba purchases goods from subsidiaries which raise the costs. Sometimes, they cannot obtain specific products, so that similar products have to be purchased instead, all of which results in a drop in the quality of care and of health in Cuba. These impacts are complex, so their scope is difficult to gage and to quantify in monetary terms. The embargo impairs direct care for persons of all ages and both sexes through its impact on the institutions in the single health care system, research, epidemiological surveillance and disease control.
Health services
The following examples illustrate the difficulties faced by select health institutions in acquiring inputs: (a) The Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery reports that it attempted to purchase an ultrasonic aspirator for microsurgical procedures from the U.S. firm Cavitron, which was unable to sell it for lack of a U.S. Government license to conduct transactions with Cuba. Likewise, the Institute was unable to purchase a liquid chromatograph from the Japanese firm Shimadzu, because some of the components of the electrochemical detector are made in the United States, so, if the final destination was Cuba, the company was unable to sell it. The pharmacy department reports shortages of top-of-the-line anticonvulsant drugs, such as Levetirazetan, Lorazepam; drugs to combat Parkinson’s Disease, such as Entacapone; nutrients and antioxidants for neurodegenerative diseases, L-carnitine, coenzyme Q, Hyper plus; antidepressants with no affinity for D receptors for patients with Parkinson’s, Paroxetine, Fluoxetine, and others. All these medicines are U.S. made. (b) The National Allergy Group and Scientific Society of Allergy states that the work of the allergen plant of the National Center of Bioproducts was hampered by the fact that the U.S. company Pharmacia, which was subsequently merged with Amersham and is currently a subsidiary of General Electric’s Health Care, was unable to sell it replacement parts for the chromatographic equipment purchased from that firm. Polaroid was unable to sell its 667 film, used in scientific photography in the Western Blot technique, and Sigma was unable to sell Cuba reagents for cell culture. Substitutes had to be purchased in Europe, pushing up costs and causing delays until they arrived.
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(c) The Gastroenterology Institute reports that it was unable to purchase bipolar radiofrequency induced thermotherapy equipment for ablation of liver tumours from AG (Olympus Group Company). (d) The Frank País Hospital specializing in Orthopaedics and Traumatology reported that a query via the Anthrex company’s website (www.Arthrex.com) resulted in a statement that all Anthrex companies in the United States and abroad have to request a special export license to conduct transactions with certain countries, including Cuba, a process that might take eight months. (e) The Oncology and Radiobiology Institute reported that its transplant unit has a rapid volume infusion machine for restoring volemia in the transoperative period. This equipment is manufactured by the U.S. firm Haemonetics and is currently not being used because it is impossible to buy spare parts for its connection wires. The Institute also reports that radiotherapy and nuclear medicine equipment, linear accelerators, brachytherapy, gamma chambers and dosimetry equipment cannot be purchased on the U.S. market where the quality/price ratio is favourable and, instead, have to be bought in Europe at higher prices. (f) The Ministry of Public Health’s National Electromedicine Centre reports that the U.S. embargo has hampered its attempts to purchase, directly and first-hand, replacement parts and accessories for Philips multiparameter MP2 monitors and Heartstart XL defibrillators, because they are of U.S. origin. It also points to the impossibility of receiving adequate training with Philips’ positron emission tomography equipment, which is vital and state-of-the-art for diagnosing cancer, because the corresponding training centre is in Cleveland (United States), which makes it difficult for Cuban specialists to attend. (g) The Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery lacks the non-fluoroscopic three-dimensional anatomical mapping equipment produced by the U.S. firms Biosense Webster and St. Jude. That prevents the Institute from performing ablations in complex arrhythmia cases, which means that the Ministry o f Public Health has to send patients to Italy to receive this treatment at a cost of between 15,000 and 18,000 euros, not counting travel and per diem expenses. It also points out that the lack of the set, manufactured by the U.S. firm Cook Medical, for extracting pacemaker or implantable automatic defibrillator wires or electrodes makes it necessary to perform surgical procedures with a heart-lung machine to remove the electrodes, thereby increasing the risk of complications for the patients. Rehabilitation service equipment made by Schiller cannot be repaired because, due to United States pressure, the Swiss bank does not accept money from Cuba. (h) The Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital lacks the green potassium-titanyl- phosphate laser used to treat patients with prostatic hyperplasia, so that operations can be performed with no or insignificant bleeding. That is particularly useful with patients needing uninterrupted anticoagulant therapy or patients suffering from coagulation disorders. Use of the green laser has the added advantage that patients have only a very short stay in hospital and only need a urinary catheter for a few hours. This scientific advance is very expensive, as are laser fibres, which cost approximately 1,200 euros each; and if the prostate in question is large more than one laser fibre is needed. Because the large enterprises or firm that manufacture this endoscopic and laparoscopic equipment, and bipolar resectoscopes or the green potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser are not allowed to trade with Cuba, the equipment
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has to be obtained through other countries. This raises the cost and makes acquiring them virtually prohibitive. (i) The firm Medicuba reports that shunts used to treat hydrocephalus in children used to be obtained from the U.S. manufacturer INTEGRA NEUROSCIENCE through CARIMED CANADA, a provider. However, the manufacturer has suspended deliveries for Cuba since late 2013 on the orders of the United States Treasury Department. Finding a substitute cost Cuba roughly US$ 60,000 more. Medicuba also reported that, under pressure from the U.S. Treasury Department, the German supplier MAQUET CRITICAL CARE stopped delivery of the Servo humidifiers used for ventilation in seriously ill adult and paediatric patients because they contained U.S. components. (j) The National Directorate for Vector Monitoring and Control reports that there are important pesticide producers in the United States but as their products cannot be imported, others have to be imported from more distant countries, such as Argentina, Peru and Germany at added costs. In some cases, too, those products are not as good as the U.S. pesticides. Similarly, the United States’ fumigation equipment manufacturers, such as Hudson and Curtis Dynafog, are famous for high - quality products, but as Cuba cannot purchase from them, equipment has to be bought from Germany and replacement parts from Spain. Apart from taking more time, this adds to transportation costs. (k) The William Soler Hospital Paediatric Cardiology Centre was unable to turn to U.S. firms to purchase medicines such as bosentan tablets or iloprost inhalation solution to treat children with inoperable pulmonary hypotension who do not respond as expected to sildenafil, or who suffer side effects from it, or for whom combined therapy is indicated due to especially severe loss of functional capacity. The Center further reports the impossibility of acquiring like better-quality nutrients, such as aminosteryl, which is especially important for improving outcomes from the pre- and postoperative treatment of malnourished patients with complex and critical cadiopathies. It is only produced by Abbot Laboratories, of U.S. origin. (l) Nor has Cuba been able to obtain medicines that are essential for treating chronic and disabling diseases in children and adolescents, such as infection by the Hepatitis B virus (for which the antiretroviral Tenofir is used in patients for whom previous treatment failed to stop viral replication and who, if not properly treated, would normally end up with cirrhosis of the liver and its complications. Nor has Cuba had access to the protease inhibitor Telaprevir (the latest generation drug used to treat Hepatitis C, as an alternative for patients who do not respond to treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin). It stops progression towards cirrhosis of the liver and its complications, such as encephalopathy, ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, and liver cancer). (m) With regard to the protease inhibitor, it was vital to use it for an adolescent girl who had not responded to earlier treatments and whose illness is advancing very swiftly. Management at the Centre arranged for it to be purchased by contacting the Vertex-Cilag marketing company based in Spain, which offered to supply it at an exorbitant price: whereas in Europe a supply for 12 weeks of treatment costs 34,000 euros, for Cuba it would cost 138,600 euros.
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(n) The National Centre for Medical Genetics has had difficulty purchasing single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) gels and tension kits with silver, used for screening mutations and to identify conformational changes in the different gene exons needed to diagnose conditions like cystic fibrosis, the Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Gaucher ’s disease, galactosemia, and others. Nor was the Center able to purchase taq polymerase, produced by the U.S. firm Invitrogen and used to diagnose 17 genetic diseases. Likewise, it was unable to purchase genetic analyser equipment, which is only manufactured by companies with U.S. equity. Applied Biosystems, currently owned by Life Technologies, refused to sell it. This equipment reads DNA base sequences. It is therefore a fundamental tool for studying genetic diseases.
Research
The Pedro Kourí Institution and others like it report that the U.S. embargo and the concomitant shortages and difficulties in acquiring medicines, reagents for diagnosis, and laboratory equipment manufactured by U.S. firms have hampered their work and the performance of their functions with respect to dealing with infectious and tropical diseases (especially HIV/AIDS), epidemiological surveillance, research and teaching. For instance, they have been unable to acquire the antiviral drugs nelfinavir, ritonavir and 80/20 mg Lopinavir/Ritonavir (used to treat children with AIDS), because the companies that produce them cannot trade with Cuba and do not answer orders for them. Forty children are currently hit by this restriction.
Impact on knowledge management
With respect to access to new knowledge, there are restrictions on purchasing and/or subscribing to major U.S. journals. The impact has been exacerbated by Cuba’s exclusion from the HINARI scientific information system. The country cannot access journals and editorials originating in or related to the United States, which limits its access to scientific and technical information. It also continues to be difficult to have Cuban scientific articles published in U.S. journals. The embargo has restricted progress in science by hampering the participation of Cuban professionals in technical and scientific meetings at which knowledge and experiences are exchange with a view to strengthening national capacities. The Cuban Society of Allergy and its National Group report that, on several occasions, they have had difficulty making payments to the World Allergy Organization and have had to pay via third countries, which has sometimes led to delays and triggered complaints that could impair the Society’s rights and benefits. The embargo has also hampered the inclusion of medicines and vaccines manufactured in Cuba in research protocols developed in the United States and Cuba’s presence in international organizations headquartered in the United States, due to the delaying or denial of visas.
Economic impacts, by type
Losses sustained due to geographical relocation of trade. The increased budgetary expenditure and foreign exchange appropriations in the health sector as a result of having to buy medicines, medical supplies, equipment and technology in
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markets that are far away from Cuba are considerable: US$ 18,701,816. They break down as follows: (a) Market distance, causing purchase price fluctuations; (b) Immobilization of stocks to guarantee rotation of merchandise while supplies are pending delivery; and (c) Transportation, shipment and other operating expenses in respect of merchandise purchased in far-away markets. Impacts on production and services: Here the main impacts result in the impossibility of obtaining resources, delays in the provision of medical care, and patients having to be sent abroad for treatment. Losses in these three categories totalled US$ 24,142,875. The breakdown by category is as follows: (a) The impossibility of acquiring replacement parts, raw materials, and products with specific characteristics that cannot be substituted by products from another supplier. (b) Delays or other inconveniences that impair production and services forgone as a result; and (c) Patients sent abroad at the Cuban State’s expense for lack of the technology or technical equipment needed to treat them in Cuba. Impacts due to the technological embargo. The U.S. embargo has directly impacted medical specialization by obstructing direct, first-hand purchase of new technologies and access to scientific, technical and bibliographical information. The losses here amount to US$ 3,273,200. The impact stems from: (a) Not having continuous access to scientific knowledge, specialists, and other health professionals and to scientific events and exchanges in this field in the United States; and (b) Not having greater access to the exchange and purchase of technical information and new medical technology. Finally, it is important to stress the efforts undertaken by Cuba and the health sector to respond to and diminish the effects of the embargo on the health of the population thanks to the training and work of its scientists, physicians, and qualified personnel as they search for solutions to the problems generated by the embargo. To that end, Cuba is working to develop its biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industry with a view to reducing and substituting imports by producing medicines, reagents, vaccines, treatments and other domestic inputs, so that as the health system increases its problem-solving capacity year after year the effects of the embargo will diminish.
World Intellectual Property Organization
[Original: English] [17 April 2014] As a result of the embargo, the following circumstances, which are obstacles to the country’s advancement in the field of intellectual property and directly affect its technological, social and economic development, have been observed in Cuba:
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(a) By restricting access by Cuban citizens to the United States, the embargo limits the possibilities of human resources development on United States soil. As a result, specialized Cuban professionals may not fully benefit from higher specialization opportunities in the field of intellectual property, available especially in the United States. These include the opportunity to acquire experience with the implementation of technology transfer offices, with technology management and with intellectual property valuation and collateralization, issues of extreme relevance for the effective use of the intellectual property system; (b) Visa restrictions also hinder the possibilities of Cuban intellectual property professionals to participate in the regular training programmes, meetings and other events organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in the territory of the United States; (c) A restricted telecommunications infrastructure also hinders the widespread dissemination of WIPO online distance learning courses in Cuba, despite the efforts and commitment of local authorities to foster a nationwide cult ure of respect for intellectual property. Facilities for videoconferencing, which allow a most efficient and cost-effective means of communication, especially for educational and training purposes, are also unavailable, since a major portion of the technical equipment and software tools originate in the United States and may not be acquired; (d) Poor telecommunications facilities have a negative impact on and obstruct access by Cuban nationals to WIPO online databases and other digital services in the field of intellectual property. This situation, in particular the lack of online access to patent information databases, including Patentscope and others, which are available only through the Internet, is detrimental to the advancement of technological research and other innovation programmes carried out by the Government of Cuba in the fields of environmental, medical and life sciences, and bio- and nano-technologies; (e) The embargo affects the availability of information technology equipment and software for administrative operations regarding filing and granting procedures, in particular patent and trademarks search and examination services. Although the country is administratively equipped to perform such functions, thanks to the presence of provincial branches of the Cuban Intellectual Property Office, the lack of specialized software critically hinders such performance. External procurement formalities to obtain the required equipment and software are extremely burdensome. This situation continues to cumulatively delay the services that these offices are required to render and prevents the normal growth and expansion of such services. Most importantly, this situation stifles the possibility of taking full advantage of the functionalities available under the WIPO Intellectual Property Automated System, since some of the system’s operating tools are not freely accessible to users in Cuba. As such, the possibilities for expanding and customizing the system to the needs of Cuban users (both in the capital and i n the provinces) are seriously compromised; (f) The extraterritorial effects of the embargo extend to the financial arena as well. Payments from Cuba to WlPO under the WIPO-administered treaties (the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the Madrid system concerning the international registration of marks) may only be effected in euros or Swiss francs, not in United States dollars, to avoid the restrictions imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets
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Control of the United States Department of the Treasury. Likewise, payments from WIPO to the Cuban Intellectual Property Office must be made in the same currencies. The cost of these indirect transactions for the purpose of avoiding United States banks amounts to considerable financial losses and discourages the use by Cuban nationals of the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the Madrid system.
World Meteorological Organization
[Original: English] [30 June 2014] The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has been providing support to projects, meteorological equipment and instruments, and has co-sponsored meteorological conferences in Cuba. As a member of WMO, Cuba benefits from its global and regional services, receiving publications and other materials of the organization. Cuba takes part in activities of WMO such as meetings, workshops and courses. WMO maintains collaborative relations with all Caribbean States, including Cuba which is a member of WMO Regional Association IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) through WMO Regional Office for Americas. Furthermore, Cuba participates in projects covering the Caribbean area, such as the ISDR (International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) Caribbean project, and benefits from them.
World Tourism Organization
[Original: English] [23 May 2014] During the period from April 2013 to March 2014, the United States economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba continued to be applied to general activities, including to travel by United States citizens to Cuba, directly affecting the Cuban tourism sector. During that period, international tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 5 per cent and the Caribbean subregion grew by 1.8 per cent. The United States, as the second largest outbound market, contributed strongly to this growth, by sending over 50 per cent of the tourists visiting the Caribbean in the last five years. This means that during 2013, 25.1 million United States tourists visited the Caribbean (including the Mexican Caribbean. If there were no limitations, around 15 per cent of the United States citizens travelling to the Caribbean would have travelled to Cuba, according to estimates from the Caribbean Tourism Organization. Each United States tourist in the Caribbean spends an average of $997 per stay. Thus, 2 million United States tourists would have travelled to Cuba in 2013 and receipts for the Cuban tourism sector would have totalled $1.9 billion. The prohibitions on travel to Cuba imposed by the embargo significantly affect the free navigation of yachts and sailboats of United States citizens in international waters near the Cuban archipelago and prevent the use of the docks, nautical
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facilities and services offered by marine conveniences, for which reason their earning potential is curtailed. Cuban marinas nowadays have about 700 docks that could host, at 75 per cent occupancy, about 191,000 day-boats with an average length of 40 feet per year. At an average stay of seven days, this represents 27,000 boats in one year and would have involved an income of about $6.2 million. If the charges relating to water and electricity services, fuel, stores and yacht repairs were added to this amount, the unrealized income would come to no less than $15 million. At present, the number of United States boats received does not even reach 150 a year. Embargo measures affecting e-commerce, Internet usage and credit-card transactions for the payment of air tickets and tourism services are affecting tourism operations in Cuba, raising their costs and preventing Cuban-based entities from competing on the same playing field as other destinations in the subregion. Credit- card processing is affecting travel agencies and the charges applied to financial transactions related to Cuba, which are considered high risk, are above average. The impossibility of the using payment gateways that operate in United States dollars such as Web Pay, PayPal, etc., which are the most used in the market, requires the development of specific online payment modules for sales abroad, making it more difficult to do business internationally. Of the four major global distribution systems in the world, Cuban hotels can only use one, Amadeus, as the other three (Sabre, Galileo and Worldspan) are United States companies. This situation prevents Cuban tourist entities from establishing a flow of business with tourism intermediaries and advertising their products through internationally renowned United States web portals, such as Google, Yahoo and MSN. Another area affected by the embargo is procurement for the tourism sector, especially because the geographical location of suppliers entails higher prices and transportation and insurance fees owing to the long distances that suppliers need to cover and also the non-mobility of resources to keep large stocks of merchandise. This also implies higher financial costs because of the need to access the more expensive commercial credit, compared to softer State and bank credit, which is difficult for Cuba to obtain as a consequence of the pressure from the United States Government on third countries and because of currency exchange rate variations, as the United States dollar cannot be used as the purchasing currency. In all, during the period from April 2013 to March 2014, national and international tourism in Cuba continued to be severely affected by the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States Government, with an estimated impact reaching an amount of $2.1 billion.
World Trade Organization
[Original: English] [2 June 2014] The scope and functions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are defined in 1994 Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization. The preamble of the said agreement recognizes that trade and economic endeavour should be conducted
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with a view to, among others, attaining higher living standards and ensuring full employment, in accordance with the objective of sustainable development and in a manner consistent with members’ needs and concerns at different levels of development. The preamble also stresses the desirability of the elimination of discriminatory treatment in international trade relations. Cuba has commented on General Assembly resolution 68/8 in the WTO Dispute Settlement Body meetings held in October and November 2013. Furthermore, Cuba and other WTO members have regularly addressed issues relating to trade restrictions against Cuba in Dispute Settlement Body meetings. 22 These references were made in the context of the surveillance of implementation of Dispute Settlement Body recommendations pertaining to the 2002 dispute brought by the European Union against the United States over section 211 of the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1998 enacted by the United States. Following the Appellate Body findings, the Dispute Settlement Body recommended that the measure in question be brought into compliance with WTO agreements. Status reports on the implementation of this recommendation are kept on the agenda of Dispute Settlement Body meetings until the recommendation is fully implemented. Cuba, not a party to the dispute, has consistently stated in Dispute Settlement Body meetings that the measure at issue in the dispute affects its trade interests. Finally, it is worth mentioning that Cuba proposed specific provisions on non-discrimination in the transit of goods during the negotiations for the WTO 9th Ministerial Conference. Taking that into account, WTO members agreed, among other important decisions, to reaffirm the non-discrimination principle of article V of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 in the Bali Ministerial Declaration, adopted on 7 December 2013.
______22 Since June 2013, this issue has been raised in the Dispute Settlement Body meetings held on 25 June 2013 (see WTO document WT/DSB/M/333, available from https://docs.wto.org); 23 July 2013 (WT/DSB/M/334); 30 August 2013 (WT/DSB/M/336); 25 September 2013 (WT/DSB/M/337); 22 October 2013 (WT/DSB/M/338); 25 November 2013 (WT/DSB/M/339); 22 January 2014 (WT/DSB/M/341); and 26 February 2014 (WT/DSB/M/342).
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